A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R PA R E N T S , A L U M N I , A N D F R I E N D S O F H O LY I N N O C E N T S ’ E P I S C O PA L S C H O O L
The Chaplaincy Program:
The Heart and Soul of a Holy Innocents’ Education
In this issue:
A Farewell from Headmaster
Gene Bratek “Flipping” the Classroom Galashack and A Heart For The Arts Middle School’s
“Hunt For The Trust” Takes Over Campus
Sam Johnson ‘09 Returns to
SPRING 2014 VOLUME X ISSUE 2
Guinea to Help Those Left Behind
OKLAHOMA Fifth-graders put on the rip-roaring musical this spring, with three performances that were much more than OK! SECTION HEAD
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GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY Kindergartners welcomed their families to the Alan A. Lewis Primary School, and gave a lively performance in the Duncan Gym.
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HAMLET In Dr. Chris Swann’s AP English Lit class, students performed a number of scenes that brought the “Melancholy Dane” to life (and death!).
CNN TOUR Media Lit students toured CNN World Headquarters in downtown Atlanta, where they learned the ins and outs of TV news from the pros themselves.
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Reporter Nick Valencia and HIES alum Claire Abreu ’96, CNN Satellite Coordinator, explain their roles to the students.
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Mission Statement
School Philosophy
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School develops in students a love of learning, respect for self and others, faith in God, and a sense of service to the world community.
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School offers an educational program encompassing academics, arts, athletics, and spiritual formation. Through opportunities to grow intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally, students develop their individual worth and dignity. The challenging academic program prepares students for higher education and emphasizes learning as a pathway toward ethical leadership and a
commitment to the common good. The school provides a welcoming and supportive environment, embraces the differences inherent in a diverse community, and embodies the inclusive Episcopal tradition of respect for the beliefs of others. Holy Innocents’ is an active community of faith engaged in local, national, and international service to others.
contents TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | VOLUME X | ISSUE 2
From the Editor
Thor (aka Latin and religion teacher Clay Kelsh ’96) readies a thunderbolt, undoubtedly striking terror in the hearts of the US Film students recording his performance. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Nick Roberts CONTRIBUTING EDITORS June Arnold Michele Duncan Dunn Neugebauer Peggy J. Shaw Tamika Weaver-Hightower Mary Chris Williams GRAPHIC DESIGN Irby Heaton PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Roberts CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Baker James Barker Karen Boor Gemshots Photographic Tricia Gephardt Dunn Neugebauer Debbie Reams Alice Thompson Leanne Weaver Chris Yarsawich
While interviewing people for this issue’s cover story, I heard similar ideas and phrases repeated again and again: Holy Innocents’ chaplains make time for students outside the classroom; they’re concerned not just with academics or athletics or the arts, but also with a student’s emotional and spiritual well-being and development; theirs is a ministry of being present and available in every facet of the school; chaplains nurture people of all faiths and backgrounds, personifying the acceptance, inclusion, and respect on which Episcopal education is founded. It soon occurred to me that while, technically, HIES employs three chaplains, virtually every member of the faculty and administration that I’ve been lucky enough to work with approaches their jobs in this same way. Every day I join teachers and students in the hallways, lunchroom, gym, on field trips – anywhere, really – and am struck by their rapport and the affection they hold for each other. Sure, they discuss grades and assignments, but their relationships go so much further than that – much further than anything I remember from my own experiences in school. As this year’s graduation approached, I spoke with some teachers about their plans for the day. Each one had six or seven parties they wanted to attend – parties at their soonto-be former students’ homes. The excitement and pride these teachers felt for their kids was written all over their faces. That’s when I realized that Holy Innocents’ actually has about 270 chaplains. They teach, they coach, they direct, and they take a genuine interest in their students’ lives that goes way beyond report cards or wins and losses. They may not all wear collars and vestments, but they certainly seem to be doing God’s work.
Nick Roberts
Please send to the attention of Nick Roberts, at nick.roberts@hies.org, or mail to: Nick Roberts Director of Communications Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School 805 Mt. Vernon Highway, NW Atlanta, GA 30327 TorchBearer is published by the Offices of Admissions, Communications, and Development of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. Special appreciation goes to the parents, faculty, and staff whose contributions make this publication possible. Every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy within this magazine. Please notify the editor of any errors or omissions and accept our sincere apologies.
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COVER STORY The Chaplaincy Program The Heart and Soul of a Holy Innocents’ Education
F E AT U R E S
13
Sam Johnson ‘09 Returns to Guinea to Help Those Left Behind
18 28
Middle School’s “Hunt for the Trust”
Joe Conway’s New Film Debuts at the Berlin Film Festival
30
Letters to the Editor
20
Ben DeSantis Remembers “Snowmageddon 2014”
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A Heart for the Arts
Galashack
A RT I C L E S
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Faith-Filled Field Trip Remembering Ray Inglett Headmaster’s Farewell Principal’s Corner “Flipping” the Classroom College Counselors’ Report Class of 2014 College Admissions
DEVELOPMENT
38 39 39 40
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Groundbreaking on New STEM Building Parent Organizations Give Back Paul Barton Installation Events Class Notes
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Her Royal High Notes Music means the world to Middle School choral director Carolyn Alexander. It also means seeing the world. Alexander sings first soprano with the Adult Choir at Atlanta’s Cathedral of St. Philip, which was invited last summer to serve as the Choir-in-Residence at the majestic St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. “St. Paul’s is a place for people to gather, to share joy, gratitude, and sorrow,” says Alexander, who still smiles brightly every time she remembers the pilgrimage. “Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married there; funerals for Admiral Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill, and Margaret Thatcher were held there; and Sir Christopher Wren is buried in the Cathedral.” The St. Philip’s choir became part of that glorious history last September. “We sang one Matins service, one Choral Eucharist, and six Evensong services,” Alexander remembers. “Each day, there were hundreds of visitors who came to these services, and many expressed gratitude for the opportunity to worship with us.” While she savors the memories of singing in one of the great architectural wonders of the 18th century, Alexander hopes to create very similar memories in 2017; the St. Philip’s
Cathedral adult choir is planning another musical mission trip for that summer.
Interpreting Fun Run to a ‘T’
Community Service Director, Cameraman, and Editor While his friends were hanging out and hitting the beach last summer, HIES junior Clay Milling was donating his time and talents to make a promotional video for the Andrew P. Stewart Center in Reynoldstown, which provides a safe, enriching place for “underresourced” children after school and during the summer. “It was great capturing the kids’ smiles and personalities on film,” says Clay. “And it gave me a new perspective on volunteering; I learned I can help by doing what I like most – making videos and sharing them.” The 17-year-old, who wants to be a filmmaker, plans to volunteer his talents again this summer, when
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Kate Reddy with her winning t-shirt design.
he’ll make a fund-raising video for Blue Skies Ministries of Marietta, an organization which supports childhood cancer victims and their families. “Clay is a talented young filmmaker whose dedication really inspires others,” says HIES film and broadcast teacher Joe Conway. “There’s no question that he’ll go far in filmmaking if he chooses to pursue it.” Jayne Ann Milling, Clay’s mother, loves that her son has found an outlet that combines his desire to serve with his passion for filmmaking. She also sees a benefit that doesn’t show up on film. “It’s been fun to see how he’s matured with all the work involved in these projects,” she says.
Each year, the HIES Charitable Youth Fund selects a beneficiary of the proceeds from the Spring Fling Fun Run and Picnic. This spring, the students chose Canine Assistants, a non-profit that trains and provides service dogs to help children and adults with physical disabilities, seizure conditions, or other special needs. Our community’s donation helped bring together a young man in Sandy Springs, Chip, who is permanently disabled from brain cancer, and his new, beautiful and caring service dog, Vera. A big part of the build-up to Fun Run is the Lower School’s t-shirt design contest, in which students try to capture the spirit of both the event and the charitable beneficiary. This year’s winner, 5th grader Kate Reddy, not only captured that spirit perfectly, but also received a framed picture of her design and a special, engraved medal at a ceremony during chapel. Chip and Vera cheer on the runners on the Baker Field track.
Candidate for Grandfather While not exactly Company, and that’s why working the crowd and Truman thought people kissing babies, former knew him,” says his congressman and mother, Tricia Gephardt. presidential candidate “He just loves Fords.” Dick Gephardt certainly As it happens, this year seemed at home at Lower Truman learned in social School Grandparents and studies that the U.S. Special Friends Day. government is divided He visited classrooms into the three branches. and took in the student “So we were able to tell performance in the Dunhim that grandpa was can Gymnasium before in the legislative branch discussing his grandson and that he ran twice for Dick and Truman Gephardt with (and HIES second-grader) the executive branch, Audra Thompson Truman’s progress with and that’s why so many teacher Audra Thompson. people know him,” says Thompson told Gephardt that Truman is Tricia. “And it all kind of came together.” doing well in school and has lots of friends. This all begs the question of whether One thing he might want to focus on once Truman will follow his famous grandfather he gets out of elementary school, though, is into politics. U.S. History. “No,” says Tricia. “He wants to be the “Dick is on the board at Ford Motor CEO of Ford.”
High Honor for a Deserving Man James and Elizabeth Kendrick with their grandfather, James B. Taylor.
When James B. Taylor watches the movie Patton with his grandkids, James (11th) and Elizabeth (10th) Kendrick, he can add some personal anecdotes about the general. Taylor was at the center of some of the most important events of World War II, serving under Patton in the 83rd Infantry and performing vital reconnaissance behind enemy lines. On Veterans Day last November, Taylor received some heartfelt gratitude from those he served, when he and 14 other WWII veterans from North Carolina were presented with the Legion of Honour Medal, France’s highest honor. “We cannot praise these men enough for all they have done,” said French Consul General Denis Barbet at the ceremony in Charlotte. “We the French, we will never forget what they did to restore our freedom.” James Kendrick says, even with the honor, his grandfather will never change. “He’s
just a really interesting and fun person to be around,” says James. “He always acts really young.” But Taylor has told his grandkids about the war. “He told us about going behind enemy lines on reconnaissance,” says James. “He said if he’d sneezed or coughed, he would have been dead, and obviously we wouldn’t be here, which is kind of humbling to think about. I try to picture what experiences like that would have been like, but I really can’t. It’s pretty hard to imagine.” Elizabeth is equally proud of her grandfather. “He is one of the most inspirational people I know,” she says. “He is such a courageous man and I am so fortunate to be able to call him my grandfather.” Elizabeth’s and James’ admiration is welldeserved. But as Americans, we’re all fortunate that Mr. Taylor and his fellow veterans have always shown such courage.
The Force Is Strong With Clark McArthur As the galactic philosopher Yoda once said, “Truly wonderful, the mind of a child is.” Yoda could easily have meant Clark McArthur, an HIES fifth-grader who earned first place in last summer’s Georgia Tar Wars video competition, a program sponsored by the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance and designed to increase awareness among fourth- and fifth-graders of the effects of tobacco on the body. Clark and his parents, Marshall and Alesa McArthur, then traveled to Washington D.C. for the national competition. Entries from students in more than 40 states included videos and posters designed as positive “advertisements” for leading tobacco-free lives. Clark’s video, containing an original song, received fourth place overall. While in Washington, Clark and his family met with U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, and visited the office of Congressman Lynn Westmoreland. Established in 1988, Tar Wars has reached more than 8 million children in 17 countries with its tobacco-free message, and is administered nationally by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Thanks to the creativity of students like Clark, it’s a force to be reckoned with.
Clark receives first place in Georgia from Jeffrey Cain, MD, AAFP President, and Ashok Kumar, MD, Tar Wars Program Advisor.
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AROUND CAMPUS Ross Waters, William Boor, Sam Fallon, Gray Adams, Michael Henley, Peter Myer, and Roy Mitchell (not pictured – Patrick Hayes).
A Whole Flock of Eagle Scouts Holy Innocents’ has a proud history of students reaching the level of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. The class of 2014, however, has hatched more than its fair share. Eight of this year’s seniors have earned the rank – the most of any class in HIES history – including Gray Adams, William Boor, Sam Fallon, Patrick Hayes, Michael Henley, Roy Mitchell, Peter Myer, and Ross Waters. Becoming an Eagle Scout takes a lot more than building fires or tying knots. “There are seven rank advancements ,” says William Boor. “They include Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and then Eagle. After you get through a stage, you meet with a Scoutmaster and appear before a board, and they determine if you can go to
Downward Facing Bears For centuries, people have turned to yoga for help with flexibility, core strength, and mental discipline. Rarely, however, have they sought its help for blocking an inside linebacker. If you listen to HIES head football coach Ryan Livezey, though, yoga could become as important to his players as Powerade or shoulder pads. “I’m a big believer in flexibility,” says Livezey. “Young players become so concerned with lifting weights and getting stronger that they can lose, or at least neglect to concentrate on, the flexibility that’s so important to staying healthy. Then, when you get hit on the field and your body isn’t willing to give, injuries happen.” Last season, after learning that Atlanta yoga instructor Eleanor Dill held classes on campus for a number of faculty and staff, Livezey invited his players to sign up for some Wednesday morning sessions with her. “We made it optional,” says Livezey. “And to be honest, we didn’t have as many enroll as I’d hoped. But the feedback from the ones who did it were very positive; they all said they felt better in general.” Livezey says he hopes that feedback draws more of his players to yoga during the upcoming season. “Ideally I’d like them all doing it,” he says. “You always want players to be more flexible.” Let’s see if that becomes a winning mantra.
Jack Palmore, Owen Penn, and Ben Asbury limber up.
the next stage.” The final step to Eagle Scout requires earning 21 merit badges, plus completing a service project that involves significant time and hard work. “The project must be somewhere that’s open to the public,” adds William. “It can’t be something for private or commercial use.” For his project, William built and installed three six-foot bridges around Silver Lake. Gray Adams’ project included building and installing six 4 X 4 posts which now hold plaques containing park information at The Dunwoody Nature Center. The best part of becoming an Eagle Scout may simply be the way it makes young men feel. “It’s a bit of a relief,” says William. “But mostly, it’s a sense of accomplishment – something that will be with me for life.”
Chris Swann Gains a Rep
Through the Internet, virtually anyone who strings a few words together can pay to have their words “published” in book form. In true literary circles, however, the time-honored traditions of editors, agents, rewrites, and actual publishers continue. It’s a long road, and it’s one that deadends for the great majority of people who pursue it. But English department chair Chris Swann has some advice: “Don’t quit.” Swann, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees in English and creative writing, has been working at writing and marketing a novel for several years. The first great hurdle for anyone in his position is to get a literary agent – or rather, for an agent to agree to take you on as a client, since most publishers will only consider manuscripts submitted by agents. Last December, Swann cleared that hurdle and his second novel is now being “shopped around” to publishers. But the Upper School English teacher isn’t celebrating yet; he’s just thankful to have made it this far in a very competitive business. When first contacted by Swann, his future agent read a synopsis and three chapters of his manuscript and said, “This sounds great!” Then she asked to see the full manuscript but offered no contract. Later, the agent read the entire book and suggested revisions. But, still, she did not ask him to sign on the dotted line. Finally, on Dec. 30 during an email exchange about future revisions, Swann politely asked, “Can I tell my mother I have a literary agent?” And the agent replied, “Yes, you can.” Now the New York agent is sending Swann’s novel to editors. The dedicated English teacher and faculty advisor to the school literary magazine isn’t reveling in the glories of book authorship quite yet, but he does offer advice for fledgling writers: “Write and write, and make your work as good as possible. Then have people read it, and then listen to their feedback. “I would have had a hard time getting where I am without help.”
Taking an Assignment to Heart When the HIES administration launched the Program for Global Citizenship (PGC) eight years ago, they hoped that someday students might make a real difference in people’s lives. They hoped to have students like senior Bailey Lyles. As an eighth grader, Bailey attended an event held by Wellspring Living, a nonprofit with the mission of confronting child sexual abuse and exploitation. She was both moved and horrified by the stories she heard, and decided that she wanted to help. Four years later, Bailey’s Global capstone project is doing just that. The project, Moving With Angels, includes renovating an abandoned building in downtown Atlanta in order to provide dance and yoga therapy for survivors of child sexual abuse and the sex trafficking trade. It was her own study and love of dance, which she’s done since the age of four, that got the ball rolling. “I contacted the founder of Wellspring, Mary Frances Bowley, and asked if there was anything I could do,” Bailey remembers. “She asked me about my own background and we talked about my love for dancing. Then she told me about an abandoned building right next to one of the Wellspring homes for abused girls, and
things kind of took shape from there.” By ‘taking shape,’ Bailey means that she went to work. She began to raise funds and awareness, speaking to groups as well as individual donors. She’s also helping design the space and exploring ideas for other, tangential services to offer. “We’re not sure when the annex is going to open,” Bailey says. “There’s still some red tape we need to get through.” But red tape won’t stop her. Bailey continues to promote the cause online and in person, and has raised more than $11,500 so far. “I’m also contacting psychiatrists, counselors, and yoga and dance instructors,” she says. “The space won’t do any good
without people there to teach. It will be a good chance for teachers to gain service hours and get some hands-on experience.” PGC director Quinton Walker has high praise for his student. “I couldn’t be more proud and excited for Bailey, who continually demonstrates her heart for the world,” he says. “The women she serves thank her; Wellspring thanks her; and I, from the bottom of my heart, thank her for
her courage, commitment and pursuit of justice.” Bailey’s work and passion for justice are needed, as Atlanta has one of the highest rates of sex crime and child exploitation in the country. “I thought the girls who were forced into this terrible underground business were a lot different from me,” says Bailey, “but I was very wrong. The girls sold each night are in fact, just like me. They want to have a childhood, to be a teenager, and to be loved.” Wellspring is helping; nearly 400 girls have graduated from the program so far. The girls are housed in undisclosed locations around the city, with different age groups in different houses. “They have teachers, counselors,” says Bailey, “whatever they need for day-to-day life.” Bailey’s mission is to use the new wing of the building to bring yoga, Zumba, dance and other exercises to the girls. After she contacted Women’s Health and Shape magazines, they sent her dumbbells, water bottles, yoga mats, and other assorted equipment for the annex. While the studio’s opening may have to wait for a bit more red tape, it’s only a matter of time. And Bailey won’t stop till it’s complete. “We’ll get it done,” she says. “We’re not very far away.” For more information on Wellspring Living, visit www.wellspringliving.org. To make a donation, click the “Donate” button at the top and select “Bailey’s Project”.
Our Voice Is Changing For the past 17 years, Mary Ann Davis has greeted every visitor to our school’s front desk with a smile. She’s offered coffee, given directions, excused herself while she answered the phone, or just wished people well as they passed through. This April, we said goodbye to “the voice of Holy Innocents’” when Mary Ann retired to spend time with her family and enjoy what life offers outside of work.
“I’ve loved every minute of being here,” said Mary Ann, who’s served HIES under four different headmasters. “This is just such a fun, loving community – it really is my home, and will always be in my heart.” Next school year, bells will sound, lockers will slam, and the phone will undoubtedly ring. But things will feel a bit different when visitors enter the Upper School; Mary Ann Davis won’t be there to make our first impression. TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 11
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SAM JOHNSON ‘09
Faith-Filled Field Trip By Chris Yarsawich On Monday, April 14, students from the freshmen Ancient History & Religion (AHR) classes went on an immersion field trip to Sinai Temple and Al-Farooq Masjid Mosque, both here in Atlanta. All sections of AHR participated as part of their units on Judaism and Islam. At Temple Sinai, Rabbi Brad Levenberg led students through the major services held at the Reform synagogue, discussing the rich symbolism of the rituals and worship space. This included a close-up display of the congregation’s Torah scrolls: sacred Hebrew scriptures written in beautifully adorned large scrolls, each with its own moving history. At Al-Farooq Masjid Mosque, students were received by an ordinary congregant, Muhammad Varachhia, who volunteered his afternoon to share his faith and explain Muslim worship and the role of the mosque in the lives of Muslim Atlantans, especially those in the community at Georgia Tech. We were invited to stay and witness the
A Sweet Couple
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congregation gather for the zuhr, a solemn prayer service said daily in the early afternoon. Academically, the trip allowed students to learn first-hand about how current-day believers understand and apply the foundations and practices of these two world religions. Perhaps more significantly, however, was the opportunity for students to view Judaism and Islam through the eyes of believers who are part of the greater Atlanta community, and in the case of Temple Sinai, literally our next-door neighbors. Jason Rutledge, the history teacher who spearheaded the planning efforts to make this trip happen, originally conceived of it as a way for students to experience a personal connection with fellow Georgians of diverse faiths, rather than just learn about those faiths in the abstract. It was the kind of experience that grows naturally out of our school’s philosophy and Episcopal identity, which “embraces the differences inherent in a diverse community, and embodies the inclusive Episcopal tradition of respect for the beliefs of others.” Judging by the insightful and engaging conversations among students in the days that followed, the trip was a success on all counts. Since Lower School chaplain Timothy Sommer is still on the path to becoming an ordained priest, he can’t yet perform wedding ceremonies. Come December, though, he will play a major role in one – as the groom. Sommer and his then-girlfriend, Marissa, got engaged in March, and not in the traditional, man-on-his-knee fashion. “Marissa actually took the initiative and proposed to me,” says Sommer, “in the form of donuts from one of our favorite places in Atlanta – Sublime Donuts over by Georgia Tech.” So when Marissa gave him a couple of carefully arranged donut boxes, Sommer discovered a hidden message within – though it didn’t take much
time to decipher: “Let’s Get Married!” “Obviously, I said yes,” says Sommer. “We’re planning a wedding in December in Christ Chapel, the glass chapel in Holy Innocents’ church. I’m sure I’ll be asking everyone for advice in the coming weeks and months.” Our advice? Savor every morsel of your lives together. And congratulations!
Gratitude, Service, and Grace
Having grown up a refugee himself, Sam Johnson ’09 returns to Guinea, West Africa, to help children in the camp where he, also, once yearned for an opportunity. When he was nine years old, Sam Johnson (HIES ’09) watched from a hilltop as his village burned. His father lay dead somewhere below him, one of the countless victims of tribal mayhem sweeping across Liberia. For seven nights, his mother would lead her young children north, travelling in the dark to have a better chance of avoiding detection by the roving, murderous militias. The Johnsons were the lucky ones. They actually made it to a U.N. refugee camp in southern Guinea where Sam, his mother, and siblings spent the next eight years living in a tent, surviving on one small ration of food a day, and hoping against hope for deliverance. In February of 2007, their mother passed away, just one month before the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees transported the Johnson children to America, settling them in Clarkston, east of Atlanta. That’s where they came to the attention of then Director of Admissions Chris Pomar. After receiving permission from the Board, and working with a team of administrators, faculty tutors, and HIES families, Pomar enrolled the four school-aged Johnson children in August of 2007: Helena ’08, twins Sam and Kartee ’09, and Elizabeth ’11. After HIES, Sam attended Mercer University in Macon, literally taking every course he could. He even quit the soccer team, leaving the game he loved – and excelled at –to focus on his studies. “I wanted to learn everything,” he says. “Like when you don’t get food, I was craving education.” His desire served him well. Sam graduated Mercer in 2013 after a remarkable academic career that included quadruple majors – Political Science, International Relations, Women and Gender Studies, and French. His next step was something he’d dreamed about since he set foot on that plane six years earlier in Conakry, Guinea; he returned to the same camp in which he’d spent his own childhood, the first step of his plan to
help those who’d been left behind. “I kept my dream alive and saved up money during college,” Sam says. “I had work study and worked during the summer, and when I graduated, I had about $2,000 to help with.” After sharing his story with a number of Mercer faculty and friends, he received donations which brought that total above $5,000. With the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone over, the U.N. had ended its mission in the camp, and the people who’d been marooned there, who had nothing and no one to return to in their native countries, had created de facto villages in its place. But they faced the same problems as before – a lack of safe water and no schooling for the children. They were also less than welcome in Guinean society, treated as outsiders and not allowed access to most government services. Sam’s first trip back to Guinea lasted six months, and he discovered that little had changed. “Same as when I was living there, people had diarrhea, dysentery, parasites, and I knew the problem was water,” he says. “Bathing and doing dishes and drinking from the river, that’s how people get sick.” With the money he’d saved, Sam hired a local company to build a well that now provides clean water in the camp. He also met with the head of a school in a nearby town to discuss educating the refugee children. “He said, ‘We can help you, but you need to help us, too,’” remembers Sam. The
schoolmaster said that he needed English teachers, knowing that Sam had friends in America who might be able to help. “He told me, ‘If you do that, we can bring some refugee kids to school on scholarship, but you need to pay for books and materials.’” Since returning from that first trip, Sam has discussed ideas for helping children in the camp with a number of teachers, coaches, and parents at both Holy Innocents’ and Mercer. In addition to building more wells, he now plans to build a group home for the camp’s orphan children, which would allow them to stay together and attend school, while also having the support of each other, their teachers, and house parents. Sam is currently supporting 12 orphans from the camp who were stuck in the capital city due to the recent Ebola outbreak in Guinea, making travel back to the camp impossible. They are staying with a host family and Sam has provided them with food, clothing, and several hours a day of lessons in the hopes of having them enroll in school within the year. A great deal of work lies ahead, but the team’s most pressing need right now is funding. If you’d like to help, please contact Sam through one of the ways listed in the box below. If ever there was a person who epitomizes the Holy Innocents’ Mission Statement, it is Sam Johnson. Please join him as he works to make our world a better place, one child at a time.
You can contact Sam Johnson, learn more about his work, and support his efforts with orphaned refugee children in Guinea as follows: Through Facebook, go to:
www.facebook.com/SamuelJohnsonVision
Donate at:
www.fundly.com/my-vision-bringing-hope-to-guinea
Or email him at: sabinho20@yahoo.com Sam Johnson addresses Upper School students at February’s NHS chapel.
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Remembering
Ray Inglett A volunteer poses with the happy owner of a new HIES sweatshirt.
Ray Inglett, a parishioner and guiding light at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School since 1959, has died. Inglett’s death on March 31 at age 85 came as sad news for the Holy Innocents’ community, and a celebration of the life of this man, described by his family as a kind and loving gentleman, was held at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church on April 5. “He is an example of the kind of committed and dedicated leadership that has been a hallmark of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School for more than fifty years,” said HIES Headmaster Gene Bratek. “Without his many contributions, we would simply not be the school we are today.” Inglett, who served the school in a number of trustee leadership capacities, is being lauded for his love of both school and church. He served as co-chair of the school’s Executive Board from 1988-89, and on the Board of Trustees from 1990-91 and again from 1995-96. He was also a Facilities Development Committee Chair and was appointed to many other committees, including ones for the Scholarship Foundation and Strategic Planning. In addition, Inglett was a Lifetime Donor to the school, and the Inglett Room is named in his honor at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church. Former Lower School Principal Dorothy Sullivan remembered Inglett as a generous man with “a twinkle in his eye” and a wry wit. “He had that generosity of spirit that made him an integral part of Holy Innocents’ growth,” explained Sullivan. “Ray gave of himself in every way. He gave his knowledge of building and electrical engineering, his time and energy, and his resources. The Inglett family has continuously supported the school and the church, and 14 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
Ray led this.” He was also a man of great composure, Sullivan recalled. “Nothing fazed him—he was always up for the challenge of county inspectors, contractors, and even school administrators. But we all loved him.” Inglett graduated from from Georgia Tech in 1949 with a degree in electrical engineering. He joined the U.S. Air Force and then, in 1954, founded the electrical construction firm Inglett & Stubbs, Inc. And he brought this background in engineering to bear at HIES, working as the school’s representative on many construction projects, including Groesbeck Hall, the Alan A. Lewis Primary School building, and the original Ray Inglett (center) with his baseball fields. He was also a family outside the Middle School building in 2009. part of the conversion of the Riley Building from a public elementary school to the HIES Middle/Upper School building. “I think of Ray’s name as synonymous with the highest ideals we strive to embody at Holy Innocents: dedication, hard work, ethical behavior, and moral conviction,” said the Rev. Michael Sullivan, rector of HIEC and a school trustee and parent. “I am deeply grateful for his life in this place and deeply thankful I was able to know him. We will miss him.” Inglett’s daughters, Susan and Laura, and his son, Steve, attended HIES, as well as his grandchildren: Madison Inglett, Natalie Inglett, Andrew Parrish, and Brian Parrish. The family has requested that contributions be made to Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School for the Inglett Family Scholarship Fund. Checks can be sent to 805 Mount Vernon Highway, NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30327.
Headmaster’s Farewell In a scene from Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare has Juliet saying to Romeo “Parting is such sweet sorrow…” These words succinctly capture my own feelings upon leaving HIES. When I arrived here in March of 2011, I hoped that I might be able to make some contribution to the school’s drive for excellence. Looking back over my time here, I feel that this school community has contributed far more to me than I have contributed to it. I have had the opportunity to work with talented and dedicated administrators and teachers, as well as so many hard-working volunteers. I have often been inspired by their commitment to helping our students become accomplished scholars, athletes, musicians, actors, and artists. I have come to believe deeply in the special mission of HIES and its core values. So, as I prepare to retire from head mastering and leave Holy Innocents’, it is with mixed emotions. I am proud of all that has been
by Gene Bratek
accomplished by our students, our teachers, our administrators, our trustees, and our parent volunteers. As I leave, a new building will be under construction. This home for our Upper School science, technology, engineering, and math instruction will put Holy Innocents’ on the leading edge of STEM education in Atlanta. In addition, it will house a large, attractive, and well-equipped kitchen and dining hall to serve students in grades 1-12. This building will also be the new home of the Admissions Office. A warm and welcoming area to greet prospective students and their families has been a long-standing need. I will miss seeing the excitement of our community as steel beams begin to appear and the large size of this structure becomes apparent. There are so many wonderful people I have come to know in recent years, thanks to being part of the Holy Innocents’
community. Our school is fortunate to have Board Chair Bruce Ford and the other trustees who have invested countless hours in their efforts to move the school to the next level. I will miss their wisdom, their dedication, and their persistent efforts. I have learned much about leadership while working with them. In short, I will miss being part of a dynamic community that is doing so much to guide the character, intellect, and spirituality of young people in Atlanta. As I pass the baton to Paul Barton, I expect that he will have the full support of everyone at Holy Innocents’ as he leads the school onto many future successes. So, while I will be gone, in the words of the musical group The Police, “I’ll be watching you.” My wife Rose Marie and I want to thank everyone in the HIES community for their many kindnesses towards us. We are so grateful that we were given the opportunity to be part of this caring and thoughtful community.
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CHRIS DURST SECTION HEADUPPER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Friday used to be tea day in the Upper School. A few years ago, faculty members would congregate during free periods in the office of our Upper School chaplain Sarah Wood and discuss the variety of topics that inhabit the minds of our teachers. Anything from student concerns to happiness at home, all topics were welcomed in the midst of soft music and fresh-brewed tea. Sarah was wonderful at creating a safe space for light-hearted banter and the occasional wisdom or truth that came from one of her colleagues. Quite simply, it was the best thing she did. The role of the division chaplain at HIES
is more than just chapel services and New Testament classes. While those activities are visibly central to our identity as an Episcopal school, the non-visible Episcopal markers that define us as a community are fundamental to the role of a chaplain. Ann Mellow, Associate Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, writes about the cherished qualities that contribute to school identity. Some of them include:
Several years ago, the HIES faculty was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Reverend George E. Andrews, who spent more than forty years as an educator in Episcopal schools, including eighteen years as Head of St. Andrews School in Boca Raton, Florida. He also has served as the President of the National Association of Episcopal Schools. George is a gifted speaker and a wonderful friend to our school. In his talk with us, he referred to Holy Innocents’ as a “sacred place.” As I considered that, it occurred to me how accurate that powerful statement is. “Sacred,” in it’s most basic sense,
means “connected with God.” Apart perhaps from a church, could there be many places more connected with God on a daily basis than a place where children and adults come together, day after day, to learn and grow in fellowship together? George shared with us a prayer that he finds meaningful, and I’d like to share it with you. It comes from the book Cycle of Prayer for Episcopal Schools (2nd edition, by the Rev. John Smith), and is entitled, “Beginning School”:
r BDUJWF XFMDPNJOH IPTQJUBMJUZ BOE genuine inclusion r GSFF BOE PQFO JOUFMMFDUVBM JORVJSZ r DVMUJWBUJPO PG UIF TQJSJU r JOUFOUJPOBM SFMBUJPOTIJQ BU BMM MFWFMT r QBTUPSBM DBSF GPS BMM NFNCFST PG UIF community
MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL about revealing the worth and dignity of all members of the community necessitates a vibrant chaplaincy that does more than teach classes and conduct weekly services. Our chaplains lead us in the internal dialogue that helps us understand the connectedness we have as human beings. Our chaplains center our school discussions around the balance between interests of the individual and the needs of our community. Friday tea is just one of many examples in which the chaplain supports the educational mission at HIES. As we look to enter into a new phase of growth in the Upper School, our chaplaincy will be called upon to help preserve the Episcopal identity that we’ve come to love and expect.
What Ann describes in her bullet-point list happens daily in the HIES Upper School for all of our constituents. Our philosophy
PRINCIPAL’S CORNER GREG KAISER
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Dear God, at the beginning of things we turn to you, the beginning and end of everything. We pray for this school and the life we will lead together. Help us to live in openness and respect for each other, with care for the heritage we share. Lead us to such love for each other that as knowledge grows, so may wisdom. Grant that we may begin to see the signs
PRIMARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
of justice in our common life. Help us to welcome new people to our school. Give us more hope for ourselves and our friends than we would ever dare to hope. Help us to make this the best school it can be and to make ourselves the best faculty, staff and students we can be, so that we might make this the best world it can be. We pray in the name of the One who stands at the beginning and in the end, God. Amen. I especially love the line “Give us more hope for ourselves and our friends than we could ever dare to hope.” How appropriate as we near the end of another school year, even as we make plans to begin our journey, and our prayer, together again in August. I hope you all have a safe and restful summer.
THERESA JESPERSEN SECTION HEAD
Our ability to rely on the chaplains is one of the cornerstones of this school. Though the chaplains themselves may change (there have been 12 chaplains during my years at HIES), and their perceived roles may need to change as they adapt to the changing circumstances of life in our time, they have stood guard over what binds us together as a school family, the strength and consistency of God and love. At the end of my first week in my first year, I accompanied the senior class on a retreat. Having lived in Georgia only a few months, I was still adjusting to life in the South, and reconciling my day-to-day life experiences with my previous “knowledge” of our great state, which had been formed over time by a strange triad of cultural sources: Gone with the Wind, Deliverance, and The Dukes of Hazzard. Heading up to a camp near Toccoa promised to be eye-opening – and it was. It was remote, tucked along the shores of a lake, and run by two men, Bubba and Leather, who didn’t interact with us much, but rode around the camp on their ATVs. To say my senses were heightened would be an understatement, and not surprisingly, I found myself repeatedly in the wrong place at the right time. Every transgression of the rules (a boy in the girls’ cabin, a girl seeking a way into the boys’ cabin, the boy who brought a pack of his father’s cigarettes) and every other crisis (the black widow spiders found in the alcove with the pay phone, the dead mouse in one of the girls’ rooms, the
live one in mine) seemed to occur in my presence. Did I mention that it rained, a hard, driving, Old-Testament-look-atthose-pairs-of-animals kind of rain, for almost the entire time we were there? Did I mention that the food was bad, and the students were absolutely convinced that the minute steaks we were served were horsemeat? It was a bit draining, and I found the experience a little counter-productive. Certainly I was getting to know the students, but it was not a particularly refreshing or spiritual experience, and I found myself more than once glancing at my watch and counting the hours until we could leave. Thank God the chaplain was there. It probably helped that he was injured himself – he had slipped on the slick ground and twisted his ankle, and so was unable to do much more than hop around a little. Frazzled, overtired, missing my toddler at home, hearing mice everywhere, and wondering if that steak stuff really was horsemeat, I brought each of the perpetrators to meet with the chaplain – and my foot was tapping – but the meetings did not go as I thought they might. Rather than point at the community contract they all had signed, rather than focusing on the rules and the punitive measures to be taken, he talked with them about trust, about commitment, shared effort, and love. And far from coming across as a loveydovey exoneration of bad behavior, it helped them take responsibility for their moments of poor decision-making and bad choices. It was wonderful, and
allowed all of us to get on with the real business of the retreat. His forced immobility kept him from doing anything active, and the rain forced all of us to spend most of our time in the covered common area. There, he led discussions, had the students write letters to themselves outlining their hopes for the future (that he mailed to them years later), had us draw self portraits, perform skits, sing songs of joy and praise, and actually retreat from the everyday and experience something spiritual. That weekend (and believe me, good or not it still stands as one of the longest weekends in my memory) was a defining moment for me as a new member of the Holy Innocents’ community, and for those students as agents within that community. That the chaplain could provide that moment to “be still” is a gift I think we all treasure, and that moment was only the first of many provided by our chaplaincy. Take away the rain, and the smokes, and the mice, and see revealed the gift given to our school. Of course, it is only fair to let you know that, as we left the camp to return to Atlanta, said chaplain grabbed my shoulder from the back seat where he had his leg propped up, squeezed hard, and said, “Drive!!”
Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Lower School is firm in their belief that a faith-based foundation of moral values and traditions provides a life-long support to our students. A school plays a critical role with the children’s learning, growing, and developing into the people they will become later in life. The faculty and staff of the school embrace this wisdom and incorporate the philosophy into their daily instruction. The Lower School culture embodies our religious foundation. The weekly chapel service emphasizes and fosters respect and tolerance for each individual. Our
Change Maker classes are dedicated to immersing our students in an atmosphere of acceptance, understanding, and love. We desire to provide an environment of inclusion and acceptance that fosters creativity and innovation. Our students are prepared to recognize the worth and dignity of each person in our local community and to embrace other cultures and philosophies. I wish for our students the desire to help others because it is the “right thing” to do and not for any praise or accolades they might receive. At Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School,
our faith-based foundation continues to enrich the lives of our community of learners. Teaching philosophies, methods of instruction, technology, and various aspects of education will change in the next 50 years, but the continued care and love for our students will ensure their life successes in the future.
LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
TERRI POTTER
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HUNT FOR THE TRUST
HUNT FOR THE TRUST
Middle School “Hunt” Was a Treasure
“Go! Go! Go!” That joyous rallying cry echoed throughout Holy Innocents’ for two days in March, as 347 Middle School students sprinted across campus, laughing and cheering – much to the confusion of most non-Middle School personnel. As people soon figured out, however, the commotion involved a kind of academic scavenger hunt, with quite a bit of theatrics and athletics thrown in. During Hunt for The Trust: Unlock the Secrets, the Middle School closed its doors to traditional education and staged a hands-on, interdisciplinary experience that brought together faculty, students, and parents for two days of campus-wide learning and fun. Created by Middle School teachers Daniel Forrester and Gary Klingman, Hunt for The Trust was based loosely on the movie National Treasure, the story of a powerful secret society and a treasure trove of artifacts and gold (in the film, the Founding Fathers had hidden a treasure, and attempts by others to find it had to be foiled before the Declaration of Independence was destroyed). In the HIES version, competing teams of students had to answer academic questions, identify 10 historical documents, and complete physical challenges. Only then could they become members of “The Trust” and enter a secret treasure room, which was the ultimate goal of the game. In the beginning, students were divided by grade level and gender, and then assigned to teams of seven or eight. Each team, identified by a colored wristband, was given a small drawstring bag to carry around campus and a tube containing one significant document from American history. Then, during the game, the players solved puzzles, mastered physical 18 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
challenges, and answered questions from English, history, math, science and foreign languages (see “Playing the Game”). And at the end, certain phrases the students had deciphered were pieced together to create an Oath to The Trust – an oath that the students had to take in order to reach the treasure room, their ultimate goal. “It was hard but it was tremendous fun,” says Principal Theresa Jespersen, who particularly enjoyed watching students utilize their various skills to maximize teamwork. “I was assigned to a
great group of eighth-grade boys and had a super time watching their strengths rise to the surface,” she says. One reason for this was the concept of shared leadership, a change that Klingman and Forrester had made from last year’s two-day event, The Colonial Games, in which students were assigned specific roles in colonizing a new land. “Last year, the roles were set, such as being a trader or a developer,” says Forrester. “This year, the teams that were successful were the ones that, from the beginning, found ways they could contribute and work together.” Abby Barnes and Libby Malcolm, who found themselves on the winning redand-black seventh-grade girls’ team, for example, learned quickly that everyone in their group had something to contribute. “There wasn’t one person who did everything,” Libby says. “Everyone had their own strengths.” Hunt for the Trust also forced each student to be active in their team’s progress. “Last year they assigned you a job and you had to sit there the whole time,” explained Abby. “This year, we got to run around and see places on campus. I didn’t even know what Alumni Hall looked like!” Collaboration, the seventh-grader says, was imperative. If some team members became frustrated with a wrong answer, other members encouraged the group to keep going. “If we answered something wrong, that would really hit us,” says Libby. “And sometimes people didn’t want to run from place to place. But when we got to the end, everybody just got really into it.” Some teams developed this collaborative style quickly; others changed dynamics from the first day to the second, says Klingman. “One group was really hopping on the second day, and I asked them what was different between the first and second day, and they said, ‘We decided to stop fighting on the second day,’” he explains.
Daniel Forrester is interviewed for the Hunt for the Trust video. Watch it in the HIES website’s Media Gallery.
Students correctly identify The Articles of Confederation for Gene Bratek. Gary Klingman
“We really learned to stick together,” agreed eighth-grader Ella Gorin. Klingman and Forrester oversaw every aspect of Hunt for The Trust, though with a lot of help, just as they had last spring while collaborating with MS faculty, administration, and staff for the innovative Colonial Games. Like last year, students used their laptops extensively so that they could communicate with archivists in the Middle School. “Because we’re a WiFi campus, we had the ability to be in Alumni Hall or the Upper School and still be able to submit answers down to the Middle School building,” notes Forrester. The laptops were also a lifeline for sixth-graders who had not yet studied some of the less-familiar documents referenced in the game. (The hardest
document to identify turned out to be the “Declaration of Sentiments,” a women’s rights document signed in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention.) Each activity brought the teams closer to finding a key to the treasure. And though only a few teams were actually able to complete every task, every team eventually was rewarded with a visit to the treasure room in the Been Media Center, and a shout-out from Forrester, who hollered, “Congratulations on all your hard work.” “Overall we’re very pleased with how the game worked,” says Klingman, who believes that students learned not only academic facts but also something about teamwork, collaboration, problemsolving, perseverance, and trust. “We are still processing the experience we had, but it was just about flawless,” he says. Several out-of-state teachers have contacted Klingman and Forrester about using these interdisciplinary, academic adventures in their own schools, and Montgomery Academy in Alabama has already staged their own Colonial Games. While the interest is welcome, one of the biggest rewards for the game makers seems to have come from the students themselves. “When the kids were repeating the oath ‘United as One,’ they were so excited that their voices were just shaking,” Klingman remembers. “I thought that was so cool.” Theresa Jespersen watches her group perform one of the physical challenges
Playing the Game Hunt for The Trust began in the FAB when students viewed an animated video about a mysterious organization called The Trust. Teams then went to preassigned rooms to receive special tubes, each containing a campus map and the first of 10 historical documents. The document contained academic questions that had to be answered in order for students to form a phrase—a phrase that would be part of an oath to The Trust at the end. Each team submitted answers to a central archivist at the Middle School, and if all questions were answered correctly and students had been able to put together that first phrase, they were then given a street intersection to find on their map. (Game maps were overlaid onto real campus maps to create sites from a different time period.) At the new location, teams had a physical challenge to perform. After completion, they received a flash drive with a video that gave them clues to identifying the next document, and where they could find it. (Headmaster Gene Bratek, for example, gave students video clues about where to find the Articles of Confederation in his office.) Students had to identify the document, figure out the next phrase, give both to the archivist and then receive information about the next location to go to for another physical challenge. Then, the cycle continued. The teams did this each round until they had gathered all the phrases necessary to recite an oath to The Trust. Also, once they’d reached this stage, they had to use the documents, themselves, to create a kind of origami “key” to the treasure room, by folding all the papers a certain way. They were then able to officially solve the puzzle, take the oath, present their key, and enter the treasure room, “finishing the game and winning at learning,” as Donna Lowry, education reporter at WXIA-11Alive, described it. TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 19
CHAPLAINCY
CHAPLAINCY
The Chaplaincy Program:
Greek or Latin), to name a few. But those early Americans would also never have imagined that so many schools have committed their efforts solely to producing academic achievers, instead of scholarly, moral citizens with a solid,
is at the forefront of our school’s mission; and it’s addressed through the chaplaincy program.
Wendy Porter Cade, Timothy Sommer, and Ned Mulligan
The Good Books Of course, everyone at HIES strives to
The Heart and Soul of a Holy Innocents’ Education
The saying, “Out with the old, in with the new,” makes for a pretty accurate description of American education. Gone are the days of girls practicing their stitches for a home economics test, boys finishing up their big woodshop project, or virtually anyone knowing how to work a slide rule. On the other hand, your grandparents never learned a thing in high school about 20 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
space exploration, DNA sequencing, or the proper citation of an internet search result. Go figure. But the evolution of American education concerns much more than classroom tools and fields of study. “Out with the old” could also refer to how many of today’s schools have adjusted their missions in order to focus on preparing students for a college curriculum. Period.
And in this case, the more accurate adage might be, “Throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
In the Beginning… Schools today feature requirements that early American teachers would never have imagined - physical education, the fine arts, and foreign language (at least any foreign language other than Ancient
spiritual foundation. More than two centuries ago, John Phillips, the founder of Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, wrote, “Above all, it is expected that the attention of instructors to the disposition of the minds and morals of the youth under their charge will exceed every other care; well considering that though goodness without knowledge is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous, and that both united form the noblest character, and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind.” It’s hard to argue with Mr. Phillips’ thinking. But if we do agree with it – and see it as something more than an 18th century exhortation – then the question becomes whether we can still abide by it. In today’s lightning-paced, technologically inter-dependent global society, can a school’s attention be on both the minds and the morality of young people? Are we responsible for producing graduates who are not only prepared to succeed in today’s marketplace, but who also possess “the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind”? Or, to put it another way, can we support the baby when we’re done with the bath? At Holy Innocents’, the answer is an unequivocal “yes.” The moral, emotional, and religious development of our students
Gene Bratek and Michael Sullivan
help our students excel in the classroom, as well as on the athletic field or fine arts stage, and we celebrate it when they do. But the mission of Holy Innocents’ harkens back to what Mr. Phillips had in mind as the ultimate goal of education – the disposition of the minds and morals of the youth under our charge: “Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School develops in students a love of learning, respect for self and others, faith in God, and a sense of service to the world community.” The HIES chaplains address every aspect of this mission statement, and realize that developing strong academic skills (the love of learning) along with a moral compass (respect, faith, and sense of service) are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they’re contingent upon each other. It’s no coincidence that our school’s head chaplain, the Rev. Ned Mulligan, also chairs the religion department. The curriculum begins in 6th grade with a class called Service Learning and includes a number of mandatory and elective courses through senior year, designed to give students as broad and comprehensive an understanding of the world of religion as possible. Classes include such topics as Ancient History and Religion, God and Humanity, Religious Themes in Literature, The Jewish Experience and the Holocaust, TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 21
CHAPLAINCY
SECTION HEAD way we teach religion involves critical thinking,” says Mulligan. “Reading and writing and critical thinking – the application of principles to hypothetical questions. It’s what students are learning
and The Spiritual Life and Ethics, among others. “Ours is an academic environment, in which the kids have to take math and English and science,” says Mulligan.
Change Makers class, with teachers Stephanie Betts, Timothy Sommer, and Jenna Ross
in every class; if you don’t know why the Civil War started, hopefully when you leave this place you can write an essay that presents an educated and thoughtful explanation of it, based on facts presented to you. And that’s what we do.” The difference, however, is that history – or math, language arts, or science – aren’t germane to a person’s or family’s sense of identity and relationship with God. “We’re not telling anybody that there is a right answer,” explains Mulligan. “What we’re telling kids is that there’s a different way to look at this, along with whatever way you now look at it. There are multiple ways of looking at these passages and this theology and the application of this theology to life. So let’s figure out what those ways are. You don’t have to pick one, but you should know that they’re out there.” The combination of classroom study and Episcopal chapel services augments the curriculum, Mulligan says. “Chapel is like a lab. It’s building a foundation, building principles on principles.”
“And what we do as chaplains in this context is to present an academic challenge to kids about theology, about what progressive liberal theology is all about – not to get them to believe it, but to challenge them.” Mulligan points out that the academic study of theology works hand-in-hand with the emotional, ethical, and social development of young people. “We want kids to struggle with religious principles in whatever context they’re in, trying to find out what’s important to them. And the only way you can do that is to give them somebody’s foundation, to say, ‘This isn’t the right way to do it, but this is a way to do it. This is the way that a person wearing an Episcopal collar does it. This is the way a lot of people connect. But use it – use it as a springboard.’ “The point is not to make it hard,” continues Mulligan. “The point is to give enough practical teaching and theology so that the kids actually have something they can apply to reality. And then, from a pastoral perspective, the things we care about and the things we talk about hopefully reflect the theology that they’re getting in chapel and in the classroom.” Pausing for a moment, Mulligan explains that the process is the same as when students utilize lessons from other fields of study in their daily lives. “The 22 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
A Celebration of Differences The teaching of religion, however, makes up a small part of our chaplains’ duties on campus. Their full responsibilities blend these academics Greg Kaiser speaks at Veterans Day chapel
with the spiritual, moral, and ethical development of students. The Rev. Michael Sullivan, rector of Holy Innocents’, offers his view on the depth of the role. “I see chaplains more as an outward and visible sign of our commitment to the spiritual life. They’re like walking invitations into something deeper,” he says. “Sure they teach classes, but their ministry is to be present in every facet of the school – to be present as a spiritual invitation to something deeper.” In a way, Sullivan echoes John Phillips’ words from 200 years ago. “If we’re serious about ‘Balanced Excellence,’ however you define that amorphous term, at its core is an understanding that you can’t approach anything close to balance if you’re not aware of your spirit. In the Episcopal tradition that doesn’t mean that we want to make everyone little cookiecutter books of common prayer, thanks be to God. Instead, the chaplain is here to represent that every child has gifts from God that should be nurtured in this environment, in this community, so that they can be that full person they were created to be.” Sullivan offers numerous reminders that Holy Innocents’ religious studies and Episcopal chapel services are specifically designed to be inclusive – relevant and meaningful to people of all faiths. And, he says, he often needs to explain the approach. “I get asked the question all the time, ‘Aren’t you a Christian school?’ And the answer is, ‘Of course we are a Christian school; Episcopalians are Christians.’ But a whole book of things comes into the conversation when you start saying you’re a Christian school, and we’re not committed to all the things that come with that. To many people, when you say that you’re a Christian school, it sounds like you’re drawing lines – ‘you’re in, you’re out; here are the sheep, here are the goats.’ That’s not what we’re about. It’s an invitation to something deeper, because to be Episcopal is to affirm the multiplicity and diversity of life. In our understanding, that’s the way God is; God is diverse. So chaplains are here to help us see our own
Meet the Chaplains Holy Innocents’ three chaplains come from different backgrounds and were called to school chaplaincy at different stages in their lives. Lower School chaplain Timothy Sommer grew up in Detroit and went to college at Olivet Nazarene University, then graduate school at Chicago Theological Seminary and Berkeley Divinity school at Yale, where he earned his M.Div. Sommer began to explore the possibilities of school chaplaincy in a course titled Educational Leadership and Ministry while at Berkeley. In the Spring of 2013, Sommer was approached by HIES head chaplain Ned Mulligan about the Lower School position, and joined Holy Innocents’ last fall. As for his first year at HIES, Sommer says, “I’ve found that chaplaincy with children is born out of trust, creativity, and worship, all of which require intentionality and time. The best way for me to build our community’s confidence in identifying and talking about God’s love and presence is to constantly do this myself; and leading by example has helped my own faith to grow.” Sommer has just begun the process in the diocese of Atlanta to discern whether he is being “called” to the priesthood. Middle School chaplain Wendy Porter Cade is a native of Atlanta, attended Berry College, and then General Seminary in New York City. She spent her first seven years as a priest in church ministry and was called to Holy Innocents’ in 2011 as Middle School chaplain. Porter Cade says she felt called to school chaplaincy even before entering seminary. She describes it as, “A vocation that takes a different kind of energy than church ministry, because we’re a small community of priests within the wider community of priests in the church. The ebb and flow of our work includes a nonstop pace from August to May, which is blessed with its structure while also having the twists and turns of real life that require a loving, creative and pastoral response to myriad issues.” She says that preaching the good news to Middle School students is a blessing because, “Who needs a little good news more than a room full of adolescents?” Head and Upper School chaplain Ned Mulligan grew up in Pennsylvania, went to college in Massachusetts and law school in Missouri. He spent 22 years in New Hampshire as a trial lawyer before discerning a call to ministry leading to his enrollment in the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in 2003. Mulligan has been head chaplain at three schools, including the Salisbury School in Connecticut, The St. George’s School in Rhode Island, and, since the summer of 2012, Holy Innocents’. “In my first couple of years as a school chaplain, I struggled over the extent to which my work in the classroom, chapel, and pastoral counseling made a difference to students and colleagues,” says Mulligan. “High school students are a tough audience to read and they provide very little feedback about their religious experience. Recently, however, I have heard from former students, now in college, about involvement in campus ministries, volunteer work, and academic success in religious studies courses as a result of their experiences at my direction. Frankly, it is feedback I never really expected, but which makes what I am doing less abstract and totally rewarding.”
CHAPLAINCY diversity as a reflection of God’s diversity. In that way chaplains are helping invite us towards something that is inclusive and not exclusive.” Lower School chaplain Timothy Sommer explains the design of this
Cathedral School of St. John the Divine in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. “It’s such an important ministry because you begin to invite people to think together in community about who God is, and that establishes a great spiritual
commitment. “The most successful chaplains are real clear about their purpose,” says Wright, “and their purpose is to sow good seeds. The parish priest does that, but the parish priest is working with people who have
Rob Wright
inclusivity. “The purpose of what we’re doing is to nurture and grow the spiritual lives of our students both in a collective sense, in the student body all growing in the same faith together and respecting individual differences, so that so-and-so can be the best Episcopalian they can be, or so and so can be the best Catholic, or Baptist, or Jewish student – even if you’re an agnostic or don’t come from a faith background, to have an appreciation for the sacred or the spiritual.” According to Sullivan, the Episcopal approach is as an extension of the critical thinking we strive to instill in all academic areas. “Episcopalians are comfortable with multiple answers. That, I think, is our defining characteristic: we’re not afraid of the questions, but we’re also not afraid of multiple answers.”
The Holy Hangout Multiple answers don’t get you very far in math or science. Precision and conviction are, after all, the goals in most areas of school. But the chaplaincy at HIES has quite different goals for students. The Right Rev. Rob Wright, bishop of the diocese of Atlanta, brings unique insight to the discussion. He began his ordained ministry as a chaplain at the 24 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
foundation for kids,” says Wright, who serves on the HIES Board of Trustees (he and his wife, Beth-Sarah, also have three children who attend HIES). “Together, they begin to engage the stories of the great sacred texts. In Episcopal tradition that means the Bible, and we look to the Jewish literature, and you look at the Buddhist texts, the Hindu texts, the Muslim texts, and begin to tease out and engage people on the questions of ‘Who am I, who is God, who is neighbor?’ I loved doing that.” Like Sullivan, Wright emphasizes the importance of personal engagement to the role of chaplain. “I like to call chaplaincy the ‘holy hangout’”, he says. “In addition to the delivery of content, it also means kind of hanging out and being available to young people as they encounter real-life – divorces, death, hardship, crisis, anxiety. All of those things that go with us living together.” Wright uses a metaphor to color his point. “I think when chaplaincy is done right, it’s like playing shortstop,” he says. “That’s the image I learned; I’m supposed to find the gaps and stand there.” As any baseball fan knows, however, there’s a big difference between Derek Jeter and, say, Yunel Escobar. Success, whether at shortstop or as a chaplain, takes
opted in, so there’s some structure there. But I think the lack of structure in a school community actually mirrors the Christian understanding of Jesus’s life; it was not a congregation – it was only a congregation of twelve. It was telling those really important stories and inviting people to walk, and being open to people not walking. It was not obligation-bound.” Wright offers a point that even the most devout Christian may never have considered. “Jesus was a chaplain – we should remember that,” he says. “Jesus was a lay chaplain who came to just tell us stories, to engage our minds and our soul. But he did not build the church; he did not develop a congregation.”
Sanctuary Addressing life’s big questions in a classroom is one thing. Addressing the myriad pastoral needs of an entire school, with students from 3 to 18 years-old, as well as adult faculty and staff, is quite another. For Middle School chaplain the Rev. Wendy Porter Cade, that’s the best part of her job. “There is nothing else on the planet like a sixth grade boy,” she says. “And if you get that, then you can delight in them.” Porter Cade explains that, in addition to
The HIES Episcopal Identity Statement Last school year, in response to the HIES Board of Trustees’ new longterm strategic plan, the Rev. Ned Mulligan convened a committee of school administrators (including Gene Bratek, Rick Betts, Michele Duncan, and Chris Pomar), faith leaders (Rabbi Ron Segal of Temple Sinai, the Rev. Michael Sullivan and the Rev. Wendy Porter Cade of Holy Innocents’, and the Right Rev. Rob Wright, bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Atlanta), faculty and staff (Judie Jacobs, Meredith Many, and Beth Lynch) and HIES parents (Mark Klopfenstein, Jennifer Weiss, Bruce Ford, and Jackson Wilson) in order to address the plan’s first objective: to write and ratify a statement of Episcopal Identity that reflects the school’s character and distinctiveness. Thanks to their hard work, the following statement was adopted by the Board of Trustees earlier this year:
H
oly Innocents’ is Atlanta’s only pre-K through 12th-grade Episcopal School. We are committed to teach, learn, worship, and serve in community, for the greater good of our students, their families, and the world.
O
ur commitment is grounded in the belief – supported by scripture, reason, and tradition – that God is present in every person and, therefore, we must “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being” in everything we do.
In the national tradition of Episcopal
schools, we welcome students of all faiths and backgrounds, knowing that our differences elevate and glorify one another.
H
oly Innocents’ Episcopal School’s mission encourages spiritual growth and incorporates exceptional programs in academics, athletics, and the arts as a pathway toward ethical lives.
CHAPLAINCY understanding and nurturing the different stages of students’ emotional and social development, the HIES chaplains’ role is to provide a sort of psychological sanctuary “It’s important that we are visible, that our offices are seen as a soft
place to land,” says Porter Cade. “We’re different from counselors, because people seem to think there needs to be something wrong before they talk to a counselor, or they need some academic guidance. But I ultimately don’t have a stake in how a student is doing academically. I’m more concerned with their spiritual and emotional well being. It’s a completely different role than anyone else on campus in that regard.” “She’s a haven for students,” says Middle School principal Theresa Jespersen of Porter Cade. “If there’s a conflict with a teacher or a problem at home, balancing home and school, she is a person who’s outside of that, and provides a person to go to in a time of trouble. We, as a community, have come to expect that level of involvement from our chaplains.” That level of involvement extends throughout campus. All three HIES chaplains – Mulligan, Porter Cade, and Sommer – share the duties at all four divisions’ chapel services and make themselves available to the entire community. This is very much by design, according to Michael Sullivan. “The reason we have an office of chaplaincy, with male chaplains and female chaplains, chaplains in their 50s and chaplains in their 20s and TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 25
CHAPLAINCY
CHAPLAINCY
30s, is that it gives us the ability to bring multiple viewpoints,” he says. “With Timothy, for instance, if you’re a 17-yearold young man and you’re going through a really hard time, then you’re likely to trust the twenty-something chaplain because you know he was facing that same issue just a few years ago, versus the chaplain who is in his 50s. But you also value the wisdom of the 50-something year-old,
they’re going to be pastoral to the whole family. If there’s a mother or father in the hospital who needs a visit, they go. So I think the biggest change has been that, as society has become more secular, the role of the chaplain has become wider. And I think there’s a blessing in that.” “We’ve had a number of faculty who have been injured over the past year, and Wendy is kind of the self-appointed point
Rabbi Brad Levenberg at Hannukkah Chapel
who is going to come at it from totally different perspective. And then you want the girl in Middle School to be able to go to Wendy, a woman, because she just can’t imagine that life is changing the way it is; she can’t imagine why the boys are so immature and she needs somebody to talk to about those things – not in the way they would talk to a counselor, but in the way it affects the soul. So we have an office of chaplaincy with diverse chaplains because we want to provide that to the whole community, because it takes all of that for a K-12 community to make it.”
Local Mission Work The other major difference between a chaplain’s role and any other on campus is how far off campus it extends. “Our chaplains work with families outside the school setting, because a lot of people don’t have churches and synagogues and faith communities to turn to when they have a problem,” says Sullivan. “Our chaplains help people when there’s a death in the family, and they don’t worry about the fact that it’s not a student. The student’s affected, but 26 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
person for information about that, just as Ned and Timothy are for their divisions,” says Jespersen. “So she will find out, ‘does this person need food, do we need to be mobilizing dinners’ and things like that. She works with the deans and the art teacher to get cards signed. And her presence in the hospital is not questioned, the way that it would be for a regular person off the street, because her clerical status gives her entrée to places where no other person could go.”
A Meeting of the Minds Of course, preparing our students for success at the next level is the ultimate goal at Holy Innocents’. But scholarly pursuits and spiritual well-being are intrinsically intertwined. And therefore, John Phillips’ words from the 18th century – “It is expected that the attention of instructors to the disposition of the minds and morals of the youth under their charge will exceed every other care” – are as relevant today as they’ve ever been. Upper School principal Chris Durst explains how those ideas become manifest
on the HIES campus. “As an Episcopal school, underneath the tangible markers – curriculum, chapel, etc. – are the intangible markers that hold us up and support kids,” he says. “And one of those is intentional pastoral care. That’s important for us because we hope to provide a very healthy environment for our students, because we understand that students who are in trouble, or are in need, have a far more difficult time learning. So that intentional care that’s modeled by the adults in our community – and mostly the chaplains – supports the academic mission in caring for the social and emotional health of our kids.”
Teaching Religion Before the Religion Curriculum The religion department’s official curriculum begins in 6th grade with a course called Service Learning. However, there’s a great deal of religion and religion-related instruction in the lower grades, too. It begins in Primary School, where students are introduced to the basic principles of religion in a bi-weekly class named Living Faith taught by principal Greg Kaiser. He introduces our youngest students to the elemental concept of faith. “I explain that God loves us all and that nothing will ever change that,” says Kaiser. “We act out parables and other stories, and talk about how we might share God’s love with others.” The HIES chaplains also use chapel services to get across religious lessons. “With the littler ones, it’s really fun,” says the Rev. Wendy Porter Cade. “We talk about things like prayer and we give examples. My illustration for prayer is a candle – when you blow it out and watch the smoke go up, that’s prayer. They get that – and if I can make a concept accessible to a three-year-old, I think that’s success.” Porter Cade explains that the chaplains’ objectives with our youngest students are necessarily simpler than with the upper grades. “It’s more than circle time, more than talking about your emotions. It’s time that is set apart for something bigger than themselves,” she says. “Our big goal,” says Kaiser, “is to get it across that faith is a visible thread running through the fabric of everything else we do.” Meanwhile, in Lower School, chaplain Timothy Sommer addresses religion at an appropriately more sophisticated level. This year, with LS teacher Jenna Ross (who is leaving HIES to pursue her master’s in International Education Policy at Harvard University), Sommer taught a class called Change Makers that studies and explores some of history’s most important humanitarian and religious figures, and the social and religious progress that came about through their works. Next year, he plans to tweak the curriculum. “I’ll be teaching a course called Faith In Service and Humanity,” says Sommer. “It combines spiritual development, religious studies, and service learning.” Faith In Service and Humanity will explore the role of faith in a great variety of areas, such as faith in art, freedom, justice, love, prayer, reason, and service, among others. “Using faith to explore what it means to be human, the course will ask the questions: What is important in life? Who is God? How can we love our neighbors as ourselves?” says Sommer. “As an Episcopal school, loving and serving others is central to our understanding of faith.”
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FACULTY NEWS
Things People Do at the Berlin Film Festival by Joe Conway
Sarah Green, Jason Isaacs, Saar Klein, and Joe Conway
After an eleven-hour overnight flight from New York, my eyes were a little blurry as I stood at the baggage carrousel at Tegel International Airport in Berlin, Germany, waiting for my suitcase to appear on the conveyor. So when I turned around and saw him, my first thought was that lack of sleep was causing me to imagine things. I nudged my wife and asked, “Hey, am I crazy or is that Bill Murray standing right behind us?” She turned to look. “Yep,” she said. “That’s him alright.” Another reason I hadn’t been absolutely sure it was Murray was because he was dressed in baggy, grey sweatpants, a wrinkled corduroy shirt, and scuffed loafers and looked more like a down-and-out street person than an international movie star. Only the emerald green Tyrolean hat with the jaunty red feather shooting up one side indicated that he might be a man of means and not somebody about to approach me and ask for spare change. When a few minutes later my wife and I retrieved our bags and made our way past German customs and out of the international terminal, we were surprised to see dozens of paparazzi lined up outside the exit doors, cameras in hand, all waiting for a chance to snap a picture of Bill Murray. A few even raised their cameras as we stepped out of the sliding doors, but then quickly lowered them when they realized we weren’t TMZ material. Well, I thought, so much for my triumphant arrival in Berlin for the world premiere of my film, Things People Do. When I got the phone call from the producer telling me that the film I had co-written had been accepted into the Berlin International Film Festival, I was understandably excited. The Berlin Festival (or Berlinale as it’s called in Europe) is considered one of the top five film festivals in the world today. The other four are Sundance, Cannes, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Venice International Film Festival. What sets these top-tier festivals apart from all the others isn’t the size of the 28 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
crowds it attracts, or the number of bigbudget premieres it features, or the quality of the movie stars that stroll down its red carpets – although the major festivals score high marks in all these categories. No, the magic ingredient is the presence of distributors. Over the last thirty years or so there’s been an explosion of film festivals in the U.S. and around the globe. Some are held in big cities, some in small towns; some cater to the general
public, some to niche groups. Most are well-run and many are well-attended, but few of them will help get the movies that they showcase the distribution deals they crave – those all important arrangements that put the movies we love onto the big screens at our local Cineplexes, or onto our television sets at home, or streaming onto our computers and smart phones. Representatives from distribution companies from all over the world show up to the five big festivals in droves, all looking to find the next big thing – or sometimes even the next small thing, as long as they think it’ll make them a buck or two. Things People Do was filmed over five weeks in the spring of 2013 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and stars Wes Bentley (American Beauty, The Hunger Games) and Jason Isaacs (The Patriot, and all eight Harry Potter films). It’s about a hard-working man who loses his job in the Great Recession but can’t bear the shame of telling his friends and family the truth. Instead, he kisses his wife and kids goodbye every morning and pretends to go off to work, but, in fact, desperation has driven him to a life of crime. Gun in hand, he begins robbing people, all the while telling himself that he’s still a good man at heart. The film’s world premiere took place on February 8, 2014 in the Zoo Palast Cinema in the Mitte District in Berlin, in a theater packed with over 800 people. Back in 2004 another movie I wrote, Undertow, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and then, as now, as the lights went down in the theater and the picture came up on the giant screen, I felt a mix of nervousness and vulnerability – something like I imagine those contestants feel on that Discovery Channel reality show Naked And Afraid. Ninety minutes later, as the lights came back up and the crowd erupted in applause, my nerves gave way to feelings of relief and pride that something that began as an idea in
my head almost five years earlier had been transformed (with a lot of changes along the way, of course) into a feature-length motion picture through the hard work of scores of others – the cast, the crew, a team of dedicated producers, and a talented director. The reviews wouldn’t start to appear until the next morning, but that evening after the screening, I overheard the only review that mattered to me when one elderly German woman sitting beside me turned to her friend and asked what she thought of the movie. “Es is gut!” she replied in German. “It’s good!” Looking back on it now, the six days my wife and I spent at the Berlin Festival is mostly a blur of film screenings, press conferences, cocktail parties, and sightseeing trips around the city. We ate a lot of weiner schnitzel and drank a lot of German beer, but when I finally got back in the States and told my Holy Innocents’ Film students about the experience, what they were most interested in hearing about is how I’d seen Bill Murray at the Berlin airport. “Did you say anything to him?” they asked me. “Well,” I said, “I saw Bill . . . and Bill saw me . . . but we both decided to play it cool.” The students look confused. “What in the world does that mean?” they asked. “You both decided to play it cool? That’s crazy. Bill Murray is, like, a huge star and you . . . you’re definitely not!” I smiled. They’re right, of course; I’m definitely not a star, but for a few days last February I got a taste of what it must be like to be one as I sat in a crowded theater watching the story I’d written play out on the big screen.
Things People Do (2014)
Directed by Saar Klein Written by Joe Conway and Saar Klein Produced by Sarah Green Note: Negotiations are nearing completion on a distribution deal that will guarantee a theatrical release for Things People Do, as well as video on demand and other ancillary markets.
Flipping Traditions by Daniel Forrester
You may have heard of a new teaching model that has begun to sweep classrooms across the country. “Flipped classrooms,” as they are called, take advantage of technology to reverse the routine of a traditional class. In a flipped classroom, students’ watch a video lesson on their computers at home, take notes, and complete their “homework” assignments in class. This approach has many advantages for both students and teachers. The most significant benefit is a more efficient use of class time. In a flipped classroom, students can engage in discussions, create pieces of work, problem solve, and apply what they are learning right where they can receive help and immediate feedback from their teacher. In the traditional setup, I would often assign math homework after lecturing for 30 minutes, and return the next day to blanks or question marks on student papers. When asked why they did not finish, a typical response would be, “I didn’t understand when I got home,” or, “I asked my mom and dad but they couldn’t remember.” The flipped classroom takes that pressure off of parents and forces students to complete assignments, because they are working the problems right in class, with the teacher present for
assistance. Another great benefit is for those students (or teachers) who miss class. It is difficult for teachers and students to meet and reteach a lesson in the same way that it was discussed in class. When the classroom is flipped, though, the crucial portion of lessons are recorded and posted online. And many students find it helpful to re-watch videos after working through problems, or to review for tests and exams. Teachers, meanwhile, can use the same video again and again, freeing up time to focus on student learning and creative applications of the content. I have been flipping my classroom for three years, and recently presented my successes and failures to some of the faculty at HIES. Although my experiences have been within a math classroom, the same philosophies carry into other content areas, as well. Since the presentation, several HIES teachers have started to use the method, partially or completely, with great success. So if you hear that your child’s teacher is flipping the classroom, rest assured that desks are not being thrown, but that the traditional style of instruction is being tweaked. If you get a chance, you should watch along with your child; you might just learn some new things, too! TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 29
SECTION HEAD
2014 A Snow Odyssey
My story is worse than some, not as bad as others. I am no hero. I am one of millions who shared the misery of Jan. 28-29, brought on by poor planning, poor driving, panic, a little white rain, and ice. What follows is the account of my ordeal to get from Groesbeck 411 to my home in Marietta. All of this is true, to a point. Some details have been slanted to reflect my state of mind. My sense of humor is my go-to defense mechanism. And if one couldn’t laugh at the mess we were in, carnage would have ensued. Props to us, Atlanta, for not devouring one another. 10:58 a.m. – An email from Headmaster Gene Bratek, dismissing school at 12:30 p.m. This meant my teaching day was done. I would’ve gone home at 11 a.m., were it not for the last line: “Teachers are expected to stay until 1:00PM.” That two-hour wait would change my life for the next day. Were it not for those two hours, you would not be reading this. 12:15 p.m. – I head to the dining hall – a plate of cooked corn, tomatoes, and 30 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
By Ben DeSantis broccoli, and a salad. I’m anticipating a delay on the drive home, and don’t want to drive on an empty stomach. I wait before heading home, so that traffic around school will thin a bit. Comical, in retrospect. 1:12 p.m. – I leave HI and head right on Mt. Vernon Hwy. NW. Right onto Dupree, left onto Old Powers Ferry. Halfway down Old Powers Ferry, traffic slows to a crawl. My spidey sense tells me I should’ve eaten more. I scour the car: three protein bars, several packs of Sour Patch Kids gum, and a can of Diet Coke. I don’t even like Diet Coke. 1:35 p.m. – I post to Facebook a pic of the backup on Old Powers Ferry and comment, “It’s going to take me two hours to get home.” If only I could go back and
tell that optimistic younger me how wrong he’d be. 2:07 p.m. – Several cars try to zip past the line on Old Powers Ferry and then cut in at Northside. I angle my car, preventing that, and remember my fondness for Hollywood Squares: “DeSantis, for the block.” Turn onto Northside, head toward I-285. I pass a gas station at the bottom of the hill. A fleeting thought – is a quarter of a tank going to be enough? 2:17 p.m. – The light at the ramp cycles for a fourth time. Nobody budges. Some impatient man behind me figures out he has this thing called a horn on his steering wheel and decides to use it, as though that will coax me to move. Like I haven’t been paying attention to the cars ahead of me. You know, the ones that also aren’t moving. I’m not going to be “that guy” who gets stuck in the middle of an intersection, stopping traffic in all directions. SUV behind me doesn’t possess similar common sense. After the horn’s third blaring, my window goes down, my head leans out, a finger – no,
SNOWMAGEDDON not that finger – points in his direction: “HEY, MORON! NOBODY IS GOING ANYWHERE! GIVE IT A REST!” The honking stops. I smile. 3:06 p.m. – AM 680 The Fan’s afternoon show “Chuck and Chernoff” comes on. Chuck is stuck in traffic, leaving Matt Chernoff to fend for himself. While there are always sports to talk about, Chernoff decides that can wait and turns the show into a group therapy hotline for listeners stuck in traffic. Hilarity ensues. Some of these people could be stand-up comics. 3:39 p.m. – It’s becoming obvious this trip is going to take much longer than anticipated. We’re 2.5 hours in, and I’ve moved fewer than two miles. Other 680 listeners have resorted to making beer and liquor runs for the long ride home. No cop would dare make a stop on suspicion of drinking and driving. To paraphrase Chris Rock, “I’m not saying it’s right, but I understand.” 4:17 p.m. – Gas gauge is below E. No way I’m making it home. I make a U-turn and head back toward the BP. It’s packed. No way in. Left onto Powers Ferry. Maybe I can get to Dupree and back to school. Nope. Cars are sliding down the hill. 4:47 p.m. – I continue up Powers Ferry onto Heards. Cars with rear-wheel drive have no shot at this. I join an odd assembly line of people pushing the cars in front of their own. I’m not much help in my dress shoes. The guy helping me slips and falls. We’re going to be here a while. 6:04 p.m. – Back at HI. Phone dead. Car charger cable in my office. Decide to charge my phone in the office while I go to the weight room to release some frustration on unsuspecting dumbbells. 6:22 p.m. – Chris Swann offers me a place to stay for the night. Across the street at my church, Mt. Vernon Baptist, a group of stranded travelers grows. I’ve got options. Text from my wife, Celina: “Try to come home.” Should’ve ignored it. Quinton Walker via text offers the blanket and food that are in his office. Tough to take him up on this offer (he is a Dookie, after all). Stubbornness and faith in my Yankee driving skills win out. Phone
charger in tow this time, I head toward Roswell Road for gas. On Hammond Drive, I slide into a curb. Probably going to need a new rim and tire. Remind me to send Gene the receipt. I forge ahead. I eat the first protein bar and drink the Coke. 7:30 p.m. – A sigh of relief. Pumped 15.861 gallons into a 16-gallon tank. My fumes were running on fumes. Now to get out of the parking lot. I-285 is less than a quarter-mile away. I’ve been saying that since 2 o’clock. Made the mistake of not buying more snacks and water. Why? The line was too long. (I know, I know.) 8 p.m. – Facebook message to Chris Swann: “Gonna try to make it home. I’ve got a full tank of gas. Should be ok. Just gonna take forever. Thanks again for the offer. Greatly appreciated.” Looked the gift horse in the mouth. Twice. Won’t do that again. Chris, it was nothing personal. 8:32 p.m. – FINALLY on I-285!!! (Forgive me, F. Scott Fitzgerald, for my usage of exclamation points.) Buuuut we’re not moving. Tractor-trailers have stopped in the middle of the interstate, blocking everyone behind them. People are standing next to their cars. I lead a small line of fellow brave souls onto the shoulder, past the fracas, and into multiple lanes of clear highway. Foolishly, I let the thought set in that the worst is literally behind me. I-285 stays clear; that is, until I get to the Northside exit. Another chance to go back to school. Or church. Or Swann’s. Wasted. I eat protein bar number two. 8:54 p.m. – Texts from Q, Taylor Noland, my wife, best friend Marty, and others. “Where are you? What are you doing? What’s the situation?” “I’m in my car. I’m sitting in my car. I see lots of red brake lights and little else.” “Why don’t you get off at the next exit and go back to school/church/Swann’s?” Huh, why didn’t I think of that? Social media starts blowing up with Walking Dead pictures of Rick on his horse – life imitates art. I haven’t seen anyone eaten alive. Yet. The night is young. 9:30 p.m. – I’m getting pics of live feed from area traffic cams. Nobody’s moving TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 31
SNOWMAGEDDON toward Cobb County. Updates from Tommie Best and others offer little hope. Traffic crawls. A line from The Shining keeps repeating in my mind: “She creeps.” If only I had a typewriter. All traffic and no travel makes Ben a dull boy. 9:38 p.m. – I start combing Twitter for State of the Union commentary. Which I’m sure is way better than the speech itself. Not sure which is worse – traffic going nowhere in sub-freezing temps, or a politician retreading old material. It’s like Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels making a sequel to Dumb and Dumber. Wait, that’s actually happening. 9:54 p.m. – My back is starting to tighten up. I get out of the car, stretch, do some jumping jacks. Even at a modest 3 mph pace, I could’ve walked home AND back by now. 10:12 p.m. – Nature calls. I let it go to voicemail. 10:16 p.m. – Chris Swann leaves directions to his house and an offer of “Fire, bed, food, drink.” If I could get off 285, Chris, I’d take you up on it. With my mood, however, I’d douse myself in the drink and set myself on fire, a la Helena Bonham Carter in Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein. 10:22 p.m. – Another call from nature. I won’t be able to ignore this all night. I search the car for an empty bottle, to no avail. All I’ve got is an empty soda can, sharp edges glistening. I’m greatly concerned. 10:30 p.m. – I eat the last of my protein bars. I still think I’ll make it home at some point tonight. I play tic-tac-toe on my window. I win. The window reminds me of Robert Frost: “Miles to go before I sleep.” The next hour goes by, but I have little recollection of it. Pretty sure nothing happened. 11:55 p.m. – Sarah, an old high school friend following my Facebook posts, calls. She’s angrier about this than I am. Midnight – I’m stopped underneath the 75N exit sign. If a zombie apocalypse ever happens, those stuck in traffic are doomed. The zombies will look at us like we do at a seafood restaurant’s lobster tank. Tap, tap, tap. “Ooooh, I want the big one.” If 32 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
SNOWMAGEDDON zombies could talk. 12:51 a.m. – Phone call ends with this exchange: Sarah: “So, how far have you moved since we’ve been on the phone? Me: “Only a few inches every ten minutes or so. And that’s just shifting from one cheek to the other so my butt doesn’t go completely numb.” 12:55 a.m. – I’ll bet the F-bomb per capita on Atlanta highways right now makes The Wolf of Wall Street look like Sesame Street. 1:33 a.m. – Not going to be able to hold it much longer. I grab the soda cans and my emergency knife. I carve out a more realistic, safer hole. Still hoping to avoid this; however, if everyone did his or her business this way and then poured it out the window, it might melt the problem. 1:35 a.m. – I break open the only foodrelated item left in the car, new Sour Patch Kids redberry gum. I love SPK. I can eat them until I can’t feel my mouth, and then eat some more. Red is the best; I won’t argue this point. Trying the new gum was a no-brainer. Don’t let me down. 1:38 a.m. – Letdown. The gum isn’t sour enough, doesn’t have enough flavor, and that flavor lasts only a few minutes. Maybe if I change pieces every few minutes, it will be better. 1:41 a.m. – Nope. 2 a.m. – So glad I have my phone charger. I do some reading, play a few games. I crank up the heat for a few minutes, then shut off the car, recline the seat and take a short nap. 2:30 a.m. – Nature wins. I leave the car, hop a guardrail, and introduce myself to a tree. Proof that I’m an optimist: my primary thought during my meeting with said tree is that I hope traffic doesn’t start moving while I’m indisposed. Laughable, I know. I return to the car, stretch, more jumping jacks. 2:35 a.m.-4 a.m. – Blast the heat until I’m toasty, then shut the car off and nap until I wake up shivering. Repeat four times. 4:17 a.m. – Get out of the car, stretch. Play Angry Birds for the first time in months. A thought: since rumors abound
that the NSA is tracking our movements through Angry Birds, maybe if I play the game AND tweet something terrible about the president, they’ll come take me away. To an interrogation room. A warm interrogation room. The thought passes. I beat six levels. I am bored. 4:45 a.m.-6 a.m. – More catnaps. Blasting the heat off and on all night has made my scent rather gamey. At least the zombies should leave me alone when they pass by. 6:07 a.m. – I wake up to Chernoff’s voice. How long did I sleep? To my relief, I realize he’s taken the 680 morning show because one of the co-hosts, like me, is going nowhere fast. People are walking up and down 285. The radio plays clips of Gov. Nathan Deal’s press conference. Did I actually hear him say he felt better about this situation than he did about what happened in 2011? I wasn’t in Atlanta for that, but I’ve heard stories. How is this not worse? Once, I’d like a politician to admit failure. 6:09 a.m. – Nature calls again. Why do I even have to go? I haven’t had anything to drink in almost 12 hours. I’ll wait. 7:30 a.m. – Exhaust fumes ahead of me. Brake lights flash. We’re moving! If there were any moisture in my body, I might cry. We move at a pace that doesn’t register on my speedometer. Still, movement. 7:35 a.m. – Back on Facebook and Twitter, trying to find out if I’m going to be able to make it to the Windy Hill exit,
which for the last 8 hours has been about a mile away. 7:58 a.m. – Weird. Mix 106.5 FM in Baltimore found my Twitter feed and likes the fact I’ve kept my sense of humor and sanity. They want me on the air to tell my story. I make the call and am put on hold. I’ve gotten good at waiting. 8:01 a.m. – On the air with Mix 106.5 FM, recounting the night that has been. They’re particularly intrigued by the fact that less than two inches of snow could do this to so many people. Join the club. 8:08 a.m. – Off the phone, and we’re moving. The mile to the exit takes 30 minutes. Best pace of the trip so far. Hundreds of abandoned cars fill the highway. Another access to 75N is completely blocked. People are trying to push cars out of the way so tractor-trailers can pass. Umm, hello, use the semis to nudge cars out of the way. 8:37 a.m. – I reach my exit, which looks like a parking lot. No wonder they shut it down last night. I make a left onto
Middle School girls bring food and drinks to stranded motorists on I-285
Windy Hill. Clear roads. Salted roads. I temper my enthusiasm by reminding myself what ensued the last time I thought the worst was behind me. 8:42 a.m. – A second call from Mix 106.5, checking in. I tell them I’m off the interstate and six miles from home, with what appears to be clear roads ahead. A cheer goes up in the studio. I don’t share it. There are still miles to go before I sleep. 8:50 a.m. – I turn onto Olive Springs Road. The hill is a sheet of ice. Cars at the bottom are sliding, going nowhere. I ease my car onto a grassy bank at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church. That’ll do. Tommie Best calls, offering to give me a ride home. Thanks, Tommie, I can make it from here. Taylor texts: “Please tell me you’re home.” Almost. Song lyrics in my mind: Metallica’s “No Leaf Clover.” Something about the light at the tunnel being a freight train. Not this time. Optimism reigns. 8:57 a.m. – I trudge up the cul-de-sac toward my driveway. Total travel time: 19 hours, 45 minutes. I could’ve run almost five marathons in that time. My daughter, Jemma, raps her greeting on the window. The front door opens and Addy, my psychotic dog, bears down on me. I move toward the front stoop. Jemma and Celina wait at the door. I drop my bags and kneel down. Jemma throws her arms around me. She hasn’t seen me in 37 hours. “Daddyyy! Hi, Daddy! … Go play in the snow?”
SECTION HEAD
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Heidi Domescik
Ellen Hayes and Gia Partain
All 10 FAA presidents show their support for the One School Campaign: Front row: Clare Weaver, Malenka Warner, Carmen Kissack, Susan Sapronov. Back row: Nora Borne, Leah Henry, Kristina Blass, Michele Nelson, Misty Smith, and Jayne Ann Milling.
Fine Arts Alliance Art and Fashion Show The Fine Arts Alliance hosted a fabulous Art and Fashion Show on Friday, Feb. 21, at Summerour Studio. The event was chaired by Jenn Hayes. There were more than 200 people in attendance to peruse the beautiful art and jewelry from 23 artists and 12 jewelers around Georgia. The event highlighted 10 years of the Fine Art Alliance’s
existence by recognizing its 10 past presidents. The fashion show was the most anticipated part of the event, with faculty, staff and parents serving as models. The Art and Fashion Show is the biennial fundraiser for the Fine Arts Alliance, raising $50,000 for the Fine Arts Department. A special thank you to the sponsors of this fundraiser!
2014 Art and Fashion Show Sponsors Rembrandt Sponsors Tracy and Allan Merrill Christina and Jim Price Monet Sponsors Jenn and Tom Hayes Nancy and Les Juneau Misty and Steve Smith Picasso Sponsors Mary Bev and John Barrett SERVPRO of Gwinnett County SE & SW Chris Carlos Linda and Rick Cravey Brindley and Michael Johnson Jill and John Kampfe Jayne Ann and Clay Milling Melisa Rathburn-Stewart and Michael Stewart, Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists Becky and Dave Wallis Jennifer and Terry Weiss Ginger and Jim Wilson Kristin and Chris Wood Wyeth Sponsors Lori and Scott Ainsworth Elizabeth and Andy Ausband Karen and Jim Baker 34 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
Molly Klopfenstein
Tressa and Chris Bell Nora and Darrell Borne Kara and David Fentress Tricia and Matt Gephardt Diane and Patrick Jones The Landis Family Donna and Mark Mason Michele and Scott Nelson Nancy Brumley-Robitaille and Dan Robitaille Janie and Rick Sager Suzy and Ed Smith Linda and Nick Theos Paula Waggener
Johnny Foster Tom Hayes
Becky Wallis
Lesley Roberts Bennett Tracy Merrill, Mary Ray, and Catherine Pittman
Carmen Kissack David Doll
In-Kind Sponsors Atlanta Movie Tours Binders Art Supplies and Frames Carole Parks Catering Copy Central Idea Associates Intercontinental Hotel Groups Alesa and Marshall McArthur Janet and Greg Miller, Miller Brothers No Mas! Cantina Julie Arrendale, Tootsies Uber! Woo Skincare and Cosmetics Salon Skanda
TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 35
SECTION HEAD
SECTION HEAD
Nicole Jockisch, Chris Carlos, Peter Symbas, Anne Symbas
Laura and Mark Miles, Paul and Leanne Barton Front Christina Price, Kim Collinson, Kristin Roch, and Bruce Roch Back Jim Price, Debbie Core, Brian Core, Newt Collinson
2014 Gala Committee Front row – Caroline Jones Shah, Lori Ainsworth, Heidi Russell, Julie Walker Grigsby, Tracy Wilson, Gretchen Webb, and Kelly Voyles Kardian Middle row – Lesley Roberts Bennett and Liz Henry Back row – Julie Landis, Kristin Roch, Tammy Arnold, Tamika Weaver Hightower, Laura Foster, Stephanie Langford
????
Parents’ Association Annual Gala G
D OL E
N
Travelling back in time to the movie Caddyshack was the theme of the annual Gala. The gym was transformed to a golf course full of hole signs, golf balls, and gophers. Parents wore their craziest pants and best golf outfits for the costume contests sponsored by Piedmont Healthcare and Delta Air Lines. Dennis Dean Catering won everyone
B EAR CLU B
Kroger Julie and Mel Landis Christina and Jim Price Kim and Ashok Reddy Amanda and Knox Thompson Missy and Stefaan Ver Eecke
Eagle Sponsor Lynn and Rob Brindell Chris Carlos Family
19th Hole Sponsor Lori and Scott Ainsworth Tammy and Bob Arnold Cindy and Craig Belisle, GV Financial Advisors Tressa and Chris Bell Vanessa and David Birdwell Alexandra and Chris Burris Jenny Pittman Cantrell Sylvia and David Corts Peggy and Brent Farnham Kara and David Fentress Sou and Bruce Ford Stacia and Danny Franke/Custom Pools of Atlanta CeCe and David Gandy Tricia and Matt Gephardt Jenn and Tom Hayes Brindley and Mike Johnson Caroline and Neel Jones Shah
Par Sponsor Lee and Billy Espy Emily and Aaron Gilcreast Connie and Mark Hawn 36 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
John Capriotti and Mike O¹Kelley
Jayne and George Sertl
Rose Marie and Gene Bratek
over with his divine cuisine of veal meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes (or was it the tater tot bar packed with bison chili, pulled pork barbecue, or other delicious toppings?). This is the largest annual school fundraiser and this year, the Gala raised more than $140,000. Thank you so much to the generous sponsors!
2014 Gala Sponsors Golden Bear Club Champion Sponsor Piedmont Healthcare, Elizabeth and Kevin Brown Chris Carlos, National Distributing Company Delta Air Lines
Birdie Sponsor The Coca-Cola Company Laura and Johnny Foster Jill and John Kampfe Drs. Melisa Rathburn-Stewart and Michael Stewart, Atlanta Orthodonic Specialists Nancy Brumley-Robitaille and Dan Robitaille Kristin and Bruce Roch Ed Voyles Automotive Group
A Labradoodle, one of the live auction prizes, checks in with Heather Hahn
Kelly and Andrew Kardian Kim and Steve Keever Shellie Davis and Raymond Kelly Stephanie and Chris Langford Wendy and Kurt Mattson Jolie and Al Maxwell Phillip McCrorie and Kathy Aberson Lorin and Matthew Middelthon Kristine and Grant Morain Barbara and Marc O’Connor Carol and Brooks O’Kelley Melody and Marvin Palmore Dana and Dave Patton Ava Zagoria and Kris Pinto Catherine and Arnie Pittman Suzy and Ed Smith, Keller Williams First Realty Atlanta Linda and Nick Theos Becky and Dave Wallis Brook and Andy Wardner Gretchen and Kevin Webb Tasha and Scott Whitehead, Whitehead Energy Teri and Michael Zarrillo Celeste and Kurt Zuch
June Arnold, Jeff Gram (and gopher), and Wendy Martin
David Dean, Jamie Dean, Rick Martin, Wendy Martin, Jamie Hale, Rob Hale, and Leigh Montgomery
TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 37
FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
Groundbreaking on New STEM Building in May Janet Fanning
The Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) building to open in August, 2015. While fundraising is not complete, the Board has approved moving forward with construction. The One School Campaign will impact the school’s students, their families, and faculty across Primary, Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. The capital improvements will help to ensure that Holy Innocents’ facilities are on par with the quality of its academic programs and offer students and teachers an appropriate setting to continue its tradition of excellence. Dedicated math and science wings within the new flagship building will offer close proximity and increased opportunities for cross-curricula collaboration and peerto-peer interaction among students. The dedicated robotics lab and cutting-edge media suite will significantly enhance the engineering and print, online, and broadcast journalism programs. The expansion of the dining hall will nearly double the school’s ability to seat large groups at one time, providing an opportunity for students and faculty in each division (Lower, Middle and Upper School) to eat together. The creation of one central kitchen will greatly reduce scheduling issues, enhance Holy Innocents’ spirit of community, and provide a gathering place for school events. Finally, enhancements to the school’s endowment will continue to increase Holy Innocents’ ability to attract and retain exceptional faculty. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School Receives $2 Million Donation HIES recently received a $2 million donation from one of our city’s most prominent foundations. This is only the second time the school has received a donation of this size. We appreciate the Foundation’s acknowledgement of the importance of HIES in the Atlanta community and the value the math and science building will add to the Holy Innocents’ campus. Tull Charitable Foundation Award Grant The Tull Charitable Foundation has awarded a $200,000 grant to HIES to support the One School Campaign. It is important to HIES to have the Tull Foundation’s endorsement. 38 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
Meredith Many
Dana And David Aldridge Name Two Math Classrooms in The New Building in Honor of Math Teachers Janet Fanning And Meredith Many “For us, our campaign contribution was a great opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding Upper School teachers and faculty. We were honored to be able to name classrooms in appreciation of two very special members of the math faculty, Janet Fanning and Meredith Many, who were great mentors to our boys not just in the classroom but in scholastic organizations and outreach endeavors.� Science Laboratories To Be Named The following families have made significant donations to name laboratories in the new building Julie and Mel Landis Connie and Mark Hawn Nancy and John Patterson and the Patterson Family Foundation Media Classrooms Named The Print and Online Journalism Classroom and the Film and Broadcast Journalism Classroom have been named by the Walton Family. The Broadcast Journalism Studio to be named by the Rosenberg Family “It is more important than ever to ensure that the students of today become engaged and productive members of our community,� said Mr. Jerry Rosenberg, the grandfather of a graduating HIES senior and a rising HIES sophomore. “We need to ensure this generation of students succeeds in the years to come, and therefore it’s critical that they are provided with the resources and support needed to sufficiently explore, experiment and experience different areas of interest and focus beyond the standard academic subjects. We feel that by providing HIES with the financial support to build a stateof-the-art Broadcast Journalism Studio, that we have invested in our children’s future success by providing them with the tools and resources needed to mold inquisitive, contemplative and well-rounded future members of our communities.�
FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
The Best Year Yet for the Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship Program The 2014 Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship Program began and ended in the first weeks of January, but Holy Innocents’ managed our best year yet! The funds ran out way ahead of previous years, but the Apogee Student Scholarship’s “Apply Early� program, strong returning donors, and quick marketing helped this year to be very successful. We had about 170 people donate for a total of over $524,000. LLCs, partnerships, and S-Corps were able to redirect up to $10,000 this year, which helped with the shortened time of the program. Donations came from parents, grandparents, parents of alumni, corporations, partnerships, and friends. Holy Innocents’ began participating in this program in 2010, when 114 families contributed $249,000. The following years saw an increase in contributions as the state funding ran out earlier and earlier. We received $436,300 in Tax Credit scholarship funds in 2013 and now we are more than $524,000. This is a wonderful way to help the school’s financial aid program through the redirection of tax dollars. We have 34 students who will receive Tax Credit financial aid in the coming school year. These students must meet all of HIES’s requirements before being admitted and before being offered, or continuing to receive, Tax Credit financial aid. Participating families must be able to fund some of their tuition themselves as the maximum amount that can be given is lower than annual tuition. Some of each year’s funds are kept in an endowment for future years’ use for approved students. The Georgia Tax Credit program will start up again on January 1, 2015 through Apogee. We expect pre-applies will start in late summer for submission as soon as the Department of Revenue allows it. Once again, we are asking everyone to participate as early as possible, especially with a very short season. Thank you to everyone who took advantage of this simple and convenient way to redirect your taxes this year and to support HIES financial aid. And a special thank you to Neal Smith, Parent Volunteer chair, who managed to contact previous donors and parents who had partnerships, and explain the program’s benefits to both the taxpayer and the school.
Parent Organizations Give Back to HIES Each year, Holy Innocents’ three parent organizations host fundraisers and work tirelessly to help fund the needs of the school. Each organization is very generous and supportive of these wish list items and programs for the school. Below you will read about their contributions.
The Fine Arts Alliance made the following allocations for the Fine Arts Department and the One School Campaign: Theatre: r 1SPGFTTJPOBM TPVOE TVQQPSU UPUBMJOH $9,000 for four productions including Curtains, Oklahoma!, The Tempest, and Holiday Celebrities: Criminal Justice. Music: r (VFTU DMJOJDJBOT JO #BOE BOE 0SDIFTUSB to do small group work throughout the year r 1BSUJBM GVOEJOH PG UIF 4BNTPO 5SBJMXBZT bus to transport ensembles to the Hawks game where they played during halftime r 1VSDIBTF PG B USPQIZ DBTF GPS UIF '"# lobby r 1BSUJBM GVOEJOH PG UIF UISFF EBZ i$SFBUJWF Immersions� group from Nashville to work with Middle and Upper School ensembles r 'JOBODJBM BJE GPS TUVEFOUT UP BUUFOE Worldstrides Heritage Festival in Orlando, Florida r 1VSDIBTF PG B CBTT CPX BOE PSDIFTUSB tuners r TDIPMBSTIJQ GPS B QFSGPSNJOH BSUT student r "DDPNQBOJNFOU GPS DPODFSUT Media Literacy: r 1SPGFTTJPOBM GSBNJOH PG $ ( NBHB[JOFT for display Visual Art r 'VOEJOH UP CSJOH HVFTU BSUJTU "OEZ Pollock to campus from New Orleans to do a week long glassblowing workshop with all studio students r 1VSDIBTF PG EJTQMBZ CPBSET r 'VOEJOH UIF BDBEFNJD BGà MJBUJPO XJUI the High Museum of Art r TDIPMBSTIJQ GPS B WJTVBM BSUT student
Funding is also provided throughout the year for the following events:
The Holy Innocents’ Athletic Association provided the following to athletics and the school totaling $100,000: r 0OF 4DIPPM $BNQBJHO r "UIMFUJD 4VQQPSU r 4QJSJU r $IJMM 1PPM r $PBDIFT "QQSFDJBUJPO r 4QPSUT &RVJQNFOU r 1SPHSBN 4VQQPSU r 1MBZ PGG 4VQQPSU r 1MBZFS 3FDPHOJUJPO r 5FBN 'FFT r 4PDJBM .FEJB r 4QPSUT 5FTUJOH r 5SBWFM r )PTQJUBMJUZ
The Parents’ Association contributed $195,000 to help the school and each division: r 0OF 4DIPPM $BNQBJHO r "OOVBM 'VOE r 'JOBODJBM "JE r 6QQFS 4DIPPM o New furnishings for the entrance lobby of Groesbeck Hall o Provide a “Verb Classroom� for the Learning Resource Center r .JEEMF 4DIPPM o Funding for Think Tank and Experiential Games (Hunt for the Trust, etc.) o Additional Smart Cameras for classroom use with Smart Boards r -PXFS 4DIPPM o Funding for a new mobile laptop cart for use in all classrooms that includes 20 laptops, software, mobile cart r 1SJNBSZ 4DIPPM o Installation of a learning garden and additional landscaping/fencing o Funding for two family “Fun Night� events
r 1BSFOU &EVDBUJPO TQFBLFST r 4UVEFOU $PVODJM CMPPE ESJWF r 'SFTI GSVJU GPS .4 64 TUVEFOUT r 'BDVMUZ 4UBGG $ISJTUNBT MVODIFPO r 'BDVMUZ 4UBGG TQSJOH MVODIFPO
We would like to give a special thank you to all of the parent organization executive boards and volunteers for all of their hard work and support of Holy Innocents’ and the One School Campaign.
Save the Date for the Installation Events for Paul Barton Tuesday, August 26 All School Convocation and Installation of Paul Barton 10:00 a.m. Main Gym Saturday, September 20 Welcome to Holy Innocents’ Pre-Game Cookout for the Barton Family 5:00 p.m. LS Playground/Main Gym 7:30 p.m. Golden Bears Football vs. Pace Academy Riverwood High School Stadium
TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 39 Andy Pollock and Ryan Livezey
CLASS NOTES ALUMNI HAPPENINGS Easter Eggstravaganza On Saturday, April 12, we hosted the Easter Eggstravaganza. It was a huge success with more than 100 children, alumni, and faculty in attendance. This event is quickly becoming a part of our alumni traditions like the Alumni Pumpkin Bash in the fall. Here are a few photos from the event.
CLASS NOTES Wall of Fame Induction Scheduled for Saturday, September 20, 2014 The following alumni will be inducted into the Holy Innocents’ Athletic Wall of Fame on Saturday, September 20 during halftime of the football game at Riverwood High School. There will be a reception before the game.
CLASS OF 1995
This same evening, we will also have a 20 Year Soccer Reunion with a reception before the game along with the Wall of Fame Induction. How exciting for Holy Innocents’ Athletics! Save the date for these great events honoring the achievements of our alumni.
CLASS OF 1996
Join the Holy Innocents’ Alumni Association on Facebook and LinkedIn. This will keep you connected to the school with news and events.
Reunion Chairs: Class of 1999: Jennifer Cavanaugh Brown, jcb924@gmail.com Class of 2004: Amy Fore Kane, kaneamyf@gmail.com Class of 2009: We are still looking for a reunion chair.
If you would like to submit class notes for the Fall issue of Torchbearer, please contact Tamika Weaver-Hightower at tamika@hies.org or 404.303.2150 ext 181. If you are interested in serving as a class representative, please contact Heather Hahn ’91 at heather.hahn@hies.org.
Erin Johnson ‘00 (tennis) Davis Lukens ‘08 (lacrosse) Sean Aiken ‘08 (baseball) Greg Hubbard ‘01 (golf)
Facebook and LinkedIn
Alumni Reunion Weekend for the Classes of 1999, 2004, and 2009 Save the date for Alumni Reunion Weekend – Friday and Saturday, October 3-4, 2014. On Friday night, alumni will catch up with their classmates at their reunion receptions. Then, on Saturday night, alumni are invited to attend the pre-game barbecue before the football game versus Best Academy at Riverwood High School. Reunion details will be sent soon.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Class Representatives: Stephanie Little: sll1176@yahoo.com
years. In 2013, she took home the first place blue ribbon for her pickled jalapeños! While unable to sell online due to the Alabama Cottage Food laws, she does have a website where you can find all her available offerings and delivery areas. All of Sarah’s recipes are homemade, contain organic ingredients and are locally sourced from the Alabama River Region. You can visit Perry Street Canning online at www.perrystreetcanning or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Jill Herndon Littlefield: jilllittlefield@hotmail.com Audra Mullen Thompson: audra.thompson@hies.org
Class Representatives: Emily Brown Latone: emilylatone@gmail.com Gralyn Crumpler Daily: gralyn.crumpler@gmail.com Raine Crumpler Hyde: raine.hyde@gmail.com
Monique Caracola Biddle and Dustin Biddle welcomed their second child, Jack Wallace, on April 16, 2014. Jack weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 20 inches long. JoJo is going to be an awesome big brother! Kristen Rhoads became engaged to Brian Saripkin in April, 2013 and gave birth to Noah James on August 9, 2013. He was born at Northside Forsyth Hospital weighing 8 lbs 3 oz. Her daughter, Harper, turned 4 years old on April 12. She is such a great big sister and loves her baby brother very much.
CLASS OF 1997 Class Representatives: Ashton Thurmond Ragone: ashtonragone@gmail.com Kristin Wolford Tiliakos: kristinjwolford@aol.com
Sarah Churchman is starting her first year of her home-based canning business, Perry Street Canning, as an LLC. The paperwork has been filed, the veggies are in the ground and the empty jars are waiting to be filled! Sarah began canning in 2011 and has won 7 ribbons at the Alabama National Fair in the past two
Susan Humphlett Carlson and Chad Carlson were married in 2011 and welcomed their first child, William (“Will”) Wade Carlson on February 11, 2014. They currently reside in Myrtle Beach, SC. Chad is a senior vice president at Burroughs and Chapin Company, a real estate and investment firm, and Susan is a speech pathologist at Grand Strand Medical Center. Susan and Chad have also formed a nonprofit, Peace by Piece, to provide secondary school scholarships for orphaned and vulnerable children in Arusha, Tanzania. Please see www.PbPAfrica.org for more information. Dylan Deal is living the dream on the gulf coast. He has been named Head of the Upper School at Bayside Academy for the next academic year. Here is a picture of his and his wife Katie’s daughter, Larkin. Taylor Winn worked for Morgan Stanley for six years after college. In April, 2008, he started his company, Buckhead Wealth Management. The office is located above King and Duke Restaurant in Buckhead. Their business services include asset management, succession and legacy planning, and wealth preservation management. Here is a link to his website: www.buckheadwealth.com.
CLASS OF 1998 Class Representatives: Katie McGoogan Weeks: katie.weeks@hies.org
Merrit Kuh Miller and her husband, Duncan, welcomed their third son, Robert William on February 25, 2014. He weighed 8 lbs 2 oz and was 21 inches long. Reid and Colin are proud big brothers! James Yancey started a company called CloudTags a year and a half ago in London. They have now launched it in the US market, working with retailers to connect online and offline customer data. They have opened their US operations in Atlanta and have five full-time employees, in addition to two in their London office and six full-time developers in India. They just received an investment from Atlanta-based Hallett Capital and have also been selected as a finalist company to present at the Southeast Venture Conference at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta on May 6th and 7th: http://www.seventure.org.
CLASS OF 1999 Class Representatives: Jennifer Cavanaugh Brown: jcb924@gmail.com Samia Hanafi: samhanafi@gmail.com Drew McDonald: tam1980@gmail.com
*Save the Date for your 15 Year Reunion on Friday and Saturday, October 3-4, 2014.
CLASS OF 2000 Class Representatives: Stephanie Brown: sbrown@georgiaaquarium.org Shelarese Ruffin: ssruffin@gmail.com
Brendan Baker and Lindsay Lamberth Baker (attended HIES through Middle School) were married on December 11, 2010. Brendan is a graduate of UGA and Lindsay is a graduate of Georgia State via Presbyterian College. Brendan is an associate with Paradigm Tax Group and Lindsay is a pre-school teacher at Peachtree Road United Methodist. Both love what they are doing and reside in Sandy Springs.
Michael Griffin recently graduated from Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business with a Master of Science in Marketing (MS), Marketing/ Brand Management Degree. He also graduated with honors and was inducted into the Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society. Brian McGuire was inducted as the 63rd President of the Buckhead Business Association (BBA) in January, 2014. Brian works as Vice President of Treasury Management Services at Private Bank of Buckhead. The Marietta native joined the bank five years ago and has worked in Atlanta banking for the past 10 years. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Elon University and his MBA from Georgia State University. In addition to Brian’s civic leadership with the BBA, he also serves on the board of the Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club. He resides in Virginia-Highland and is an active member of the Virginia-Highland Civic Association. Lindsay Kittrell Morton and her husband, Brian, welcomed daughter, Alyssa Ann, on February 18, 2014. She weighed 8 lbs and measured at 20 inches long. Alyssa joins big brothers Dominic (4 years old) and Blake (2 years old). The Mortons continue to reside in Dunwoody where Lindsay is a stay at home mom and Brian is the Technical Operations Director of DVIDS at Encompass Digital Media. Kristen Andersen Stokes and her husband, Matthew, welcomed Maggie Christian (L) & Charlotte Grace (R) on November 14, 2013 at 1:22 PM, 30 seconds apart, at Piedmont Hospital. They were 5 lbs 11 oz, 18 inches and 5 lbs 9 oz, 17 inches respectively.
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CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
CLASS OF 2001
CLASS OF 2003
CLASS OF 2004
Class Representatives:
Class Representative:
Class Representatives:
Cara Puckett Roxland: cara.roxland17@gmail.com
Emily Weprich: emily.weprich@yahoo.com
Amy Fore Kane: kaneamyf@gmail.com
Allender Laflamme Durden: allenderl@gmail.com
Collins Marshall: collins.marshall@ml.com Gordon Silvera: gordon.silvera@gmail.com
Anne Haddow Freeman and Matt Freeman welcomed their second son on January 31, 2014. George Calhoun Freeman weighed 6 lbs 3 oz and was 19 1/4 inches long. Wilson (age 3) is completely in love with his baby brother. Allender Laflamme Durden, her husband, Eric, and big sister, Gray (22 months), welcomed Mattison Elaine on December 30, 2013. Bettina Hall Johnson graduated in December, 2013 from Emory University’s School of Nursing with a Master’s degree in Nursing. She passed her certification boards in February, and is a Family Nurse Practitioner. Her husband, Austin, transferred his job so they could relocate to Greenville, SC where she will be working at an Internal Medicine practice. Ashley Crowley Jones welcomed her husband, CW2 Erik Jones, home from a nine month deployment to Afghanistan. They currently live in Fort Huachuca, AZ with their two children, Joshua (7) and Harper (4).
CLASS OF 2002 Class Representatives: Malinda Greenbaum: malinda.greenbaum@gmail.com Katie Kirtland: katie.kirtland@gmail.com Alley Pickren: alleypic@gmail.com
Malinda Greenbaum recently moved from Manhattan back to Atlanta where she is working as a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley. Malinda is engaged to Jim Hlavenka, whom she met in New York. They will marry in October.
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Palo Balomenos graduated with an MBA focused in Alternative Investments from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University this May. Palo is also continuing as Managing Partner of the Kruger Capital Group, a private equity investment firm focused on multi-unit restaurant, retail, and franchise brands. David Immerman plays guitar for Avril Lavigne. They just completed a tour of Asia and South America, and will be on tour with the Backstreet Boys this summer in the U.S. Catie Sweetwood Procuniar and her husband, Jim, are expecting their first child on May 18, 2014. Kristen Radulski is marrying Tyler Herrin, a 2007 graduate of Auburn University, in late May 2014. The couple currently resides in Chicago, where Kristen works in higher education at Loyola University Chicago, and Tyler works in advertising. Kristen is also pursuing a Master’s degree at Loyola in Elementary Education.
*Save the Date for your 10 Year Reunion on Friday and Saturday, October 3-4, 2014. Olivia Lamberth received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Duke University in 2008 and her DVM from UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 2012. She worked at Powers Ferry Animal Hospital where she treated many HI alumni animals until November, 2013. On November 2, 2013, Olivia married Captain Andrew Thomas Walko from Vienna, Virginia. Olivia and Andrew currently live in El Paso, Texas, where he is a Captain in the Army and she works at the Animal Hospital on base at Fort Bliss. Patrick Parsons married Becky Hood of Monroe, GA on April 25, 2014. Taylor Reeves ‘04 and John Reeves ‘06 served as groomsmen, Camille Parsons (attended HIES from 2002-2004) was a bridesmaid, and Jaiah Scott ‘04 served as the officiate. Jennifer Bickley Sewell and her husband, Kyle, are expecting a new addition to their family in October, 2014.
Eva McDonald recently graduated from Ross University School of Medicine. In July, she will begin working as an Internal Medicine Resident Physician at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah. Cameron Bornholm Wood graduated magna cum laude from The University of Georgia’s College of Pharmacy in May 2014. Cameron and her husband, Kyle Wood, bought a home in Smyrna. She has accepted a pharmacist position at an independent pharmacy in Marietta.
CLASS OF 2006 Class Representatives: Kaitlin Duffy: duffykc@auburn.edu Miller Edwards: edwardm@auburn.edu
We are sad to note the passing of Kam Kamerschen on February 10, 2014.
CLASS OF 2009 Class Representatives:
*Save the Date for your 5 Year Reunion on Friday and Saturday, October 3-4, 2014. Demarcus Acree and his fiancé, Aniqua Barksdale, welcomed their daughter, Aniya Acree on May 6, 2013. Demarcus is a senior at Clayton State University majoring in History and Secondary Education.
CLASS OF 2010 Class Representatives:
Anna Pickren: annalovettpickren@gmail.com Amy Schwartz: amy@interbevusa.com
Hillery Brown became engaged to John Champagne in November and they will marry in Highlands, NC on October 19, 2014. Samantha Curtis graduated from the Medical College of Georgia with her MD on May 8-9, 2014. In June, she will be moving to Orlando, FL to start her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Orlando Health Medical Center.
Hamilton Bailey will be graduated from Samford University in May with a double major in Business Finance and Marketing. He recently accepted a position at BBVA Compass Bank, where he will be going through a year-long bank training program at their headquarters in Birmingham. He is very excited about this opportunity.
CLASS OF 2011 Class Representatives: Megan Ernst: megernst11@gmail.com
CLASS OF 2007
Delaney McMullen: delaneymcm@gmail.com Andrew Parrish: m.andrewparrish@gmail.com
Class Representatives: Charlotte Bissell: charlottebissell@gmail.com Sarah-Elizabeth Kirtland: sarahelizabeth.kirtland@gmail.com
Anthony Tarantino recently finished his program of study for a Specialist in Curriculum and Instruction. He also finished this basketball season by winning back-to-back region championships going 48-4 over the past 3 seasons while coaching at Lambert High School. His first year Electrathon Vehicle team finished competing in its first national event where they placed 3rd in the high school division.
CLASS OF 2005
Taylor Pack: pack_t@bellsouth.net Emily Phillips: emily.phillips88@yahoo.com
Rachel Shunnarah: rshunnarah@gmail.com
CLASS OF 2008
Kate Sternstein: kasternstein@gmail.com
Class Representatives:
Allyson Young Barganier: allysonbarganier@gmail.com
Rachel Sullivan: res6w@virginia.edu
Tyler Rathburn: tprathburn@gmail.com
CLASS OF 2012 Class Representatives:
Class Representatives:
Katie Keith: katiekeith12@gmail.com Brittany Ketchup: brittanyketchup@yahoo.com Greg Sullivan: gregsullivan12@gmail.com
Kerry Martin: kerrym46@gmail.com
Nicholas Juliano started a new job leading Resolute Consulting’s Atlanta practice last June. In November, he was elected Political Director for the Young Democrats of Atlanta. He has been appointed a Partner to the Truman National Security Project and is a fellow for the New Leaders Council.
Trevor Gillum: Kate Decker: kated7523@gmail.com
Taylor Adams graduated with a Masters of Public Administration in May. Both Taylor and her sister, Payton ’08, are going abroad to do mission work in Botswana. In the fall, Taylor will join UGA’s Human Development and Family Science program to start her Ph.D. and work as a research assistant for state extension specialist Dr. Futris.
CLASS OF 2013 Class Representatives:
LOST ALUMNI We are missing contact information for the above alumni. If you are in contact with any of the above HIES graduates, please encourage them to get in touch with the HIES alumni office. You can also log on to the website at www.hies.org. Click on alumni. If you have never logged onto the site before: Your username is firstnamelastnamegraduationyear (i.e. TamikaHightower97) Your password is your date of birth (i.e.MM/DD/YYYY) this includes the slashes. Name Maiden Name Katherine L. Schultz William P. Thomas Kimberly A. Campuzano Perisino Christopher B. Chappell Kathryn N. Wegman Keith A. Cooper Mary M. Kyle George M. McCord Laura H. Bond Lauren D. Friedrichs John P. Gallagher Holly M. O’Keefe Robert A. Schiess Katharine M. Duke Michael S. McGinn Noah K. Hauber Stephen A. Satterfield Mary V. Coleman Shaquita N. McWilliams Elizabeth A. Walters Thomas C. Dickinson Andrew C. McMullen Haley R. Pope Spencer R. Allen Peter T. Allen William O. Allen
Class 1996 1996 1997 1997 1997 1998 1998 1998 1999 1999 1999 1999 1999 2000 2001 2002 2002 2004 2004 2006 2007 2007 2008 2009 2010 2010
Kendall Krebs is transferring from the University of Kentucky to Furman University in the fall.
TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014 | 43
CLASS OF 2014
College Counselors’ Report Next fall, the members of the Class of 2014 will embark on their lives beyond Holy Innocents’. After a highly successful application season, our graduates chose from an impressive list of college acceptances. They will matriculate to 59 different colleges in 21 states and Washington, DC. One student will attend a college outside the United States; another will begin his studies at an American university abroad. Three students are pursuing gap year experiences; their travels will take them as far as Brazil
and China. Many graduates will pursue their talents at the highest level, whether in collegiate athletics or in prestigious programs for the arts. They are leaders and collaborators, scholars and volunteers, artists and activists. They are studious, silly, quirky, thoughtful, kind and loyal. And they have been truly fun to work with. The Class of 2014 has much to be proud of, and the college counseling office wishes them all the best on their journeys beyond HIES!
By the Numbers 681 total applications submitted by 114 students to 196 different institutions 69% Admits; 22% Denies; 7% Waitlists; 2% Defers 28% attending college in Georgia 42% attending college in the Southeast (except GA) 26% attending college outside the Southeast. 04% pursuing gap year/term or undecided 118 merit scholarships and awards offered, not including Georgia’s HOPE scholarship.
Most Popular Schools by Number of Applications (Ten or More) University of Georgia (59) University of Alabama (30) University of Mississippi (30) Auburn University (25) University of South Carolina (16) Clemson University (15) University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (15)
Southern Methodist University (14) Vanderbilt University (13) University of Miami (12) Georgia Institute of Technology (11) College of Charleston (10) University of Colorado – Boulder (10) Wake Forest University (10)
Colleges to Which More than One Student Will Matriculate University of Georgia (15) University of Mississippi (7) Auburn University (6) Clemson University (4) University of Colorado – Boulder (3) College of Charleston (3) Florida State University (3) Georgia Institute of Technology (3) University of South Carolina (3)
44 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
Boston University (2) Georgia College (2) Georgia State University (2) Sewanee: The University of the South (2) Southern Methodist University (2) University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (2) University of North Georgia – Gainesville (2) University of Southern California (2)
Colleges Offering Admission (Colleges the Class of 2014 Will Attend in Bold)
Academy of Art University Agnes Scott College American University Appalachian State University Arizona State University Auburn University Auburn University (Honors College) Baylor University Belmont University Berklee College of Music Berry College Birmingham-Southern College Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Brandeis University Brown University Bucknell University California State University, Long Beach Carnegie Mellon University Clemson University Clemson University (Bridge Program) Colgate University College of Charleston College of William and Mary Colorado College Colorado School of Mines Colorado State University Davidson College DePaul University Drexel University Duke University Eastern Kentucky University Eckerd College Elon University Emerson College Fashion Institute of Technology Flagler College Florida Institute of Technology Florida State University Furman University Georgia College Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Perimeter College Georgia Southern University Georgia State University Goucher College High Point University Howard University Indiana University at Bloomington Ithaca College James Madison University Kennesaw State University Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College Lipscomb University Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University New Orleans Lynchburg College Marion Military Institute Maryland Institute College of Art
McGill University Mercer University Miami University, Oxford Mississippi State University Morehouse College Murray State University North Carolina State University Northeastern University Norwich University Parsons The New School for Design Pepperdine University Presbyterian College Purdue University Queens University of Charlotte Rhodes College Rollins College Samford University San Diego State University Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta School of the Art Institute of Chicago Sewanee: The University of the South Southern Methodist University Southern Polytechnic State University Southwestern University Spelman College St. John’s University - Queens Campus St. Lawrence University Stetson University Stony Brook University Temple University Texas A&M University Texas Christian University The Citadel The Evergreen State College The George Washington University The Ohio State University The University of Akron The University of Alabama
The University of Arizona The University of Georgia The University of Georgia (Honors) The University of N Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Tampa The University of West Georgia Tri-County Technical College Trinity University Tulane University United States Coast Guard Academy University of California at Irvine University of California at Los Angeles University of California at Santa Barbara University of Central Arkansas University of Cincinnati University of Colorado at Boulder University of Colorado at Denver University of Dayton University of Denver University of Florida University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Louisville University of Maine University of Miami University of Michigan University of Mississippi University of Missouri Columbia University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Charlotte University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of North Georgia - Dahlonega University of North Georgia - Gainesville University of Rhode Island University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of St. Andrews University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of the Pacific University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin, Madison Utah State University Vanderbilt University Villanova University Virginia Military Institute Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U Wabash College Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Westminster College Wichita State University Wingate University Winthrop University Wofford College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Young Harris College
The Campus Shop Has It All SECTION HEAD
Where The Wild Things Are
The best deals in town are right inside the hallways of HIES. Did you know that when you purchase items at The Campus Shop, all profits are donated directly to the school’s general fund? And there’s never a sales tax on your purchase! At the Book ‘N Bear Campus Shop in the Riley Building, you’ll find everything your student needs to be cool in school, including: HIES uniform outerwear Additional uniform items HIES spirit items Locker decorations for sports teams Custom-designed T’s School supplies Required locks for lockers New and used textbooks We even have great gift and personal items: Greeting cards Jewelry Chick-fil-A and iTune gift cards Balloons Personalized gift baskets and more We carry lines such as: Vietri, Hobo, Smathers & Branson, Weber Grills, Tervis, Under Armour, plus many local artisans.
The campus Shop is the perfect place to shop for birthday and holiday goodies!
OPEN DURING THE SUMMER EVERY MONDAY FROM 9-2!
46 | TORCHBEARER SPRING 2014
As their reward for reading over 8,000 books in eight weeks during the Lower School Reading Challenge, students spent a day with the gorillas, pandas, lions, and other assorted friends at the Atlanta Zoo.
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S.POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA PERMIT NO. 312
805 Mt. Vernon Hwy, NW Atlanta, GA 30327 www.hies.org
Choral director Tom FitzStephens leads his Upper School choir during their performance of the National Anthem before the Atlanta Hawks game in Philips Arena on April 14.
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