The Stanwich School Newsletter December 2014

The Stanwich Heart The Newsletter of The Stanwich School

Fall/Winter 2014

One Campus

After more than a decade of being on two campuses, students, faculty and parents are celebrating the unification of one campus at 257 Stanwich Road Pg. 16

Inside This Issue Upper School Athletes Have an Exciting Season Pg. 10

www.stanwichschool.org

Triskelion Cup Challenge Pg. 20

Students Shine at STEM+ Expo Pg. 18

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From the Head of School Joyously Vibrant

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his fall, as I saw gleeful Wildwood children (and admittedly, their parents!)gathering on the Stanwich Express, as I watched the upper schoolers earnestly strategizing on how to best keep their jumbo ball aloft at the inaugural Triskelion Cup event, and as I became immersed in the all-school Fall Festival fundraiser for Stanwich’s long-term community development commitment in Cyabatanzit, Rwanda as part of Project Blessing, the Stanwich spirit was joyously vibrant.

We are shining the light on all the good that comes from great teaching, a distinctive mission, and now a single campus to leverage that synergy of being together.

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Inside the schoolhouse, that same spirit carried on. Spartan Hall is a regular hub of activity, from study groups and college representative visits to lunchtime activity and social hang-outs. Our media/tech space has students building their own computers while our younger ones are ‘Scratching’ their computer programs and still others are solving engineering problems with students in the country of Mali using 3D printing solutions. The hallways are filled with vibrant student art from various grades. Most recently, our hallways, classrooms, and fields were filled with a panoply of STEM+ classes at this year’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math+ Expo. I was pleased and honored to offer a session myself! Yes, the Stanwich spirit creates an environment quite suitable for great learning.

We are shining the light on all the good that comes from great teaching, a distinctive mission, and now a single campus to leverage that synergy of being together.

Our seniors have visited Wildwood Cottage to read to our PreK-ers, our sophomores and Grade 6 students already have collaborated in a history lesson, and more and more of our grades throughout the school are using the rich resources of our property. In some circles educators call it being connected with the kids, in other arenas professionals refer to it as student engagement. Noted educational psychologist Michael Thompson express-

es it as the intimacy of the relationship between and among students and teachers.

What is essential, amidst the daily rigors at Stanwich, is the intellectual risk free environment we create and nourish. We keep our values at the center of all we do, gathering each day in assemblies to stop, reflect, and celebrate learning and living together. We couple high expectations with encouragement and faith in developing the excellence within each child.

Stanwich’s Director of Admissions, Lori Murphy, and I have been busy visiting various preschools and junior schools as well as welcoming many school officials to our campus to share the Stanwich spirit. I continue to be struck by so many pleasing comments on the quality of our students—your children. Almost without exception, the recurring theme we hear is how much our reputation for academic excellence within a nurturing environment resonates among our colleagues and their parents. There surely seems to be a genuine value to the Stanwich experience and the distinctive spirit we incubate.

As we grow in measured ways, may the ever-present Stanwich spirit, only strengthened now that we are one campus, continue to positively impact robust learning and notable character qualities.

The Stanwich Heart

From the Chairman of the Board of Trustees Advancing Stanwich

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s your new chairman of the Board of Trustees and the father of a seventh grader, I am looking forward to dedicating my time and efforts to advancing Stanwich for all our families’ benefit. I’d like to share with you what the Trustees have been focused on the first few months of school.

The Upper School, with Grades 7 through 12, has been smoothly integrated. We can now proudly claim the title of being the only co-ed PreK to Grade 12 independent school in Greenwich. A well-deserved “thank you” goes out to our entire Faculty and Administrative team for enabling the renovation and integration of 257 Stanwich to be completed so smoothly.

The past couple of months have been busy for the Board. The Trustees have pivoted their focus to the following three priorities: 1. Commitment to the continued development of our academic excellence with exceptional programming; 2. The launch of our Capital Campaign with a clearly articulated expansion plan to incrementally increase student capacity; 3.

Steady growth in our enrollment, with a focused effort on maximizing student retention.

Second, the Board and School Administrators met with the highly regarded education consulting group Greenwich Leadership Partners to hear insights on the transforming landscape of education, and we reflected on how best to align our students with the evolving 21st Century skills needed to succeed.

We delved deeply in discussions on how to preserve the traditional values and practices so vital to Stanwich’s ethos while assessing ways in which innovation and technology can play a more prominent role in our school.

To channel the Board’s energies into accomplishing these goals, the Trustees gathered for these three separate retreats:

Finally third, internationally renowned Baker Design Group analyzed our approved architectural plans; and, together we explored various ways to expand our campus by building in phases, enabling us to quickly and incrementally add capacity. Their ideas envision our future learning spaces as forward-thinking and sustainable, and reflect our commitment to excellence. Further due diligence is underway, but their recommendations are innovative, achievable and focused on supporting our growth strategy.

First, the Board met with noted philanthropist and fundraiser John Rosenwald who successfully raised more than $2.5 Billion for non-profits.

He gave us the road map for how best to raise the money we need to build our new campus. With his ongoing guidance, we are assembling our capital campaign strategy, which you will hear more about soon.

As we go forward on this journey, it is the Board’s resolve to continue to develop the “Pinnacles of Excellence” that define Stanwich: a) exceptional academic programming; b) values based learning; and c) a nurturing environment. Each Board member is committed to helping Stanwich achieve these goals. We look forward to your thoughts and feedback as we build ourselves into the future.

www.stanwichschool.org

Steve Lorenz Chairman, Board of Trustees, 2014-2016

2014-2015 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Steve Lorenz, Chairman Paul G. Geise, Head of School Naomi Azrak (PA President) Tiffany Benincasa Mark Carbone Lisa Bailey Cassidy Susanne Clark Ara Cohen W. Gregory Drennen John Esposito Kathy Candel Epstein Lorraine Gordon Joli Gross Jan Kärst Daniel Klebes Robert Moro Roger Paradiso James Raezer Andrew Richard Richard Sanders Jon Yenor

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Life at the Lower School

Meaghan Mallin

Associate Head of School Head of Lower School

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hat a fabulous fall it has been in the Lower School! The opening of the school year is always a time of enthusiasm, and this one was particularly joyful, as we welcomed home our Upper School and opened Wildwood Cottage for our PreK and Kindergarten students. We could not be more pleased or more proud of how this school year has unfolded, as we have not only experienced a remarkably smooth transition,

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but have palpably felt the great benefits that come from having our school on one campus. Beyond the increased collaboration and camaraderie amongst faculty and greater cohesion among divisions, we have enjoyed ample opportunities for meaningful interactions between our little and big kids.

Whether it be a senior making a birthday card for his PreK buddy, our 8th graders working with our IH students in a Projects class to build a structure from toothpicks, or our Upper School students reading Halloween stories to Wildwood Cottage, our community is strengthened daily by the proximity of our Upper and Lower School.

The opening of Wildwood Cottage has also been an important and exciting milestone for our school. Joy abounds in this dynamic learning space, where our PreK and Kindergarten students experience our hallmark academic excellence in an environment designed for young learners. Beyond our rich academic curriculum and our programs in music, library, values, PE, and art,

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our Wildwood students experience wellie walks in our own nature trails, lessons in cooking and yoga, and a hands-on partnership with Animal Embassy. If you haven’t seen the magic at Wildwood, we invite you to please come and see it for yourself!

Though there have been many exciting changes this fall, the heart and rhythm of the Lower School remains the same. Our students begin each morning bounding up the steps with smiles, and spend their days immersed in a rich curriculum, with teachers who work to bring out the best in them. Our values based mission is palpable, through our traditional daily assemblies, weekly values classes and our focus on service learning.

We carry out our mission alongside you, as parents, and value the parent-school partnership which is vital to the success of each child in our care. We look forward to our continued work with each of you, so that we can help each child be their best, help others be their best, and make God’s world a better place. Our Stanwich Heart beats strong.

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1 Kindergartners draw still lifes 2 Wildwood Cottage opens 3-4 P reK students make scenic pictures from various shapes 5 Harvesting from the garden 6 Kindergarten recess 4 Fall/Winter 2014

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1-2 Grade 1 field trip to Cos Cob Fire House 3-4 Grade 2 students enjoy their class time 5-6 Grade 3 students are introduced to multiplication 7-9 G rade 6 students spend 3 days at W Alton Jones Environmental Education Center in RI 10 Grade 5 bake sale to benefit Project Blessing 11 Grade 4 trip to Philadelphia

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Life at the Upper School

Jerome Murphy

Head of Upper School

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n reflecting on the US’s recent transition to 257 Stanwich Road, I continue to marvel at the many different ways our community has enjoyed the unification of our two campuses.

From the lens of our faculty, there is a great sense of energy and joy that comes, in large part, from seeing all of the younger children among us each day. Additionally, with our faculty now being in the position to interact with the LS program and staff, we see the variety of healthy opportunities that allow us to connect our children and programs across divisions. These interactions facilitate curricular connections and help us to engage our US students in leadership opportunities with their LS peers. Seeing, for example,

the “buddy” relationships we have started to cultivate between our Senior House students and Wildwood Cottage, allows us to observe first-hand the joy of being together on one campus.

From the perspective of our US students, it is clear that they now see themselves as models for their LS peers. With this responsibility comes opportunity for our students to engage in new opportunities that were not available to us prior to the move. Our 10th grade recently interacted with the 6th grade to teach them a curricular unit in social studies, and as I observed this engagement, it reminded me of how valuable it is to facilitate such opportunities for our students.

Whether it is in the classroom, on stage, in the Spartan Hall, or on the athletic fields (we have SH students working with our JH sports teams), we all recognize and feel the joyous opportunities in front of us to continue our collaborations as one community.

Our US programs have also benefitted from the recent unification of the two campuses. When I consider the Fall Festival that the US has run for the last eight years, there is no doubt that the event we hosted at Stanwich Road in October, was the best one we have ever had. In the days of preparation leading up to the event, one could see

the pride our US kids were taking as they worked to prepare their booths and activities. This pride and sense of investment was directly related to the audience they knew their ideas would be serving: LS kids and families — a community that they are now blessed to see and interact with each and every day. At the end of the day, the unification of our campuses in this regard helped serve the greater cause of Project Blessing and the many lives of children in Rwanda we are improving through such efforts.

As all of our students continue to live as one “family” at Stanwich Road, I also reflect on the potential benefits to our athletic program.

With our US programs practicing and competing every day at Stanwich Road, we see wonderful opportunities for modeling for our LS peers. When LS students see US athletes on the athletic field each day, they see their future and their excitement builds anticipating being part of the program when they reach the appropriate age. Conversely, when our US athletes feel this attention from their LS peers, they understand the responsibility they have to appropriately model what it means and what it takes to be a successful athlete.

On behalf of the US, I can’t tell you how much joy we feel that we are finally together as one family in one home.

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1-5 F amily Festival run

by Upper School students to benefit Project Blessing 6 Fall/Winter 2014

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1-3 US students see Derek Jeter’s final home game series 4U S students cook at Mr. Geise’s home for Inspirica, an organization that serves a women’s shelter in Stamford 5-6 US students support Breast Cancer Awareness 7-9 U S Halloween dance

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Lower School Physical Education

Rob Higle

Director of Athletics

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e are off and “running” this school year!! We’re so excited to infuse some new activities to our existing PE curriculum thanks to the addition of “Ms. H” Katelyn Houlihan and “Mr. T” Connor Tompkins.

The term PE has taken on a whole new meaning in physical education. We will be focusing more of Personal Excellence

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In Grades 3 through 6, students started the year off with the Spartan Running Program in preparation for the mile run.

The Spartan Running Program exists to increase the students’ cardiovascular endurance and stamina and it totaled 1,274 miles from the beginning of school. The children’s progress was evident when comparing their miles time from the previous year. Now they are focusing their flexibility by completing a brief dynamic warm up before the team sport being played in class that day. These are the sports covered in the Fall semester in physical education: Frisbee, Soccer, Football, Field Hockey, Team Handball, Speedball and other traditional gymnasium games.

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1-6 K indergarten PE class: Game of statue tag

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compared to national guidelines. No two students are alike, so we strive to give them the individual attention that they deserve during these vital years of development.

Have no fear, we will continue to provide a safe learning environment where students of all skills levels feel challenged and involved in various team sports and physical demanding activities.

Students in PreK through Grade 2 have been working on the difference between personal and general space, their handeye coordination, and their ability to follow verbal & non-verbal instruction. These skills have been demonstrated via numerous chase and flee games, tons of throwing and catching activities and countless team oriented tasks.

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1-2 Grade 2 working on running form and running starts 3-5 Grade 3 running program and cardio vascular endurance 6-9 G rade 5 basic soccer skills 10 Grade 4 running program and cardio vascular endurance

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Upper School Athletics Fall Season Wrap-up Boys’ Soccer

Field Hockey

The Stanwich boys’ soccer team had an outstanding season this fall.

Things started well for the Spartans with a convincing win over Brunswick. From there on out, it was a battle for the Spartans as they played many nail-biters. Throughout the season, the Spartans fought to the end and never gave up even when they were down. This was highlighted by several goals in the last minutes of games to either win or tie the game. All season long, the boys played together and displayed fine sportsmanship. For all their efforts, the Spartans were rewarded with a winning season.

Girls’ Soccer The girls’ soccer season has been full of exciting moments, hard work, and sportsmanship. When met with challenges, our girls face them head on and with their Stanwich spirit. Our team this year was made up of a diverse group of soccer players, which gave them the wonderful opportunity to learn from each other and grow in the sport. Throughout the season the Spartans showed a great effort and tremendous improvement.

The field hockey team was fortunate to have four girls new to the school join our team, with five veteran players returning. The defense battled gallantly throughout the season and our goalie made remarkable saves. The forwards learned to hold their position and make effective passes and were unlucky not to have scored more goals.

Cross Country The Spartans have had one of our most successful seasons in years past on the cross country trails. Their progress and growth, on the stopwatch and as a team is visible week to week. We have had one or two runners finish in the top ten at each meet and the rest of the team not far behind. The motto of the team this season was … It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish!”

Football

The Spartan football team represented themselves in true Stanwich fashion this season. Following a tough loss in their first game against the New Sailing Canaan Country School, a game in which the Spartans made a valiant The Stanwich sailing team had a strong fall season in the 420 fleet.

2nd half comeback, the team bounced back in its next game and secured All 9 dedicated sailors exceeded my expectations by pushing their an exciting last second victory against the King School. In the team’s third limits in a variety of challenging conditions up to 25 knots of susgame at St. Luke’s, the Spartans were overmatched in size and in speed tained wind. Their hard work and determination paid off by rewardand were not able to secure a victory. Despite being down considerably ing them with unforgettable experiences of riding waves and getting at half time in this game, the Spartans did not quit and all of the playtheir boats to plane in the strong breeze. As a result of their comers showed their pride with their 2nd half effort. The team’s next game bined effort, the team has vastly improved their boat handling skills, against Rye Country Day was the most exciting of the season, as again, understanding of the racing rules of sailing, and the finer aspects of the game came down to the final seconds. While the Spartans ended up seamanship. Each sailor has learned how to analyze information on on the losing end, 27-26, it was a great game, filled with excitement and the racecourse, create a strategy, and execute tactical decisions. wonderful performances by our players.

The players worked hard this season and demonstrated an exemplary commitment to bettering themMeet Stanwich’s Athletics Faculty selves as a team. Of equal importance, our players learned the importance of commitment and good Rob Higle sportsmanship this season.

Director of Athletics Rob was a college quarterback and 1st Team All-Decade, 2000’s, in high school and played basketball and baseball.

Rob is a certified personal trainer that spends most of his time away from Stanwich mentoring student-athletes as a sport-specific instructor and birthday party liaison.

Chris Cardarelli Physical Education Instructor & Coach

Fitness

Merilyn Stephens Physical Education Instructor & Coach

Chris was a baseball player at Williams College, and played football and baseball in high school, where he was an MVP baseball player.

Merilyn is a tennis teaching professional. Previously she played on the Australian Field Hockey Championship team.

Katelyn Houlihan

Connor Tompkins

Physical Education Instructor & Coach Katelyn played ice hockey at Utica College. She also played lacrosse and was on the Varsity boys ice hockey team in high school.

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Physical Education Associate Connor attended SUNY Cortland studied physical education, played Varsity football, and club lacrosse, also wrestled in high school.

This year has been a great year in Fitness at LA Fitness in Stamford, with many Stanwich highlights.

Frequently the Stanwich students would congregate on the basketball court and get a pickup game going, in doing so they would often include outside players in their games in true Stanwich fashion. In addition, often many of the students would make use of the group room where classes are held and would work out together, often supporting and pushing each other along in their workout goals.

The students had a great time and are better athletes for their efforts!

GO SPARTANS! The Stanwich Heart

Upper School Teams Cross Country — Coach Higle Field Hockey — Coach Stephens Football — Coaches Katona, Mandia & Murphy Boys’ Soccer — Coach Cardarelli & Coach Tompkins Girls’ Soccer — Coach Houlihan & Coach Leblanc

Additional Upper School Sports Offerings Fitness — Coach Mineo Sailing — Coach Magliola & Coach Weatherseed

www.stanwichschool.org

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News Students Walk to Cure Diabetes

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n Sunday, September 28, a group of Stanwich friends came together to participate in the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Delilah Brien, a 6th grader, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease, when she was in PreK at Stanwich.

Delilah’s Stanwich friends have stood by her as she has dealt with the complexity of type 1 for the past six years. The JDRF Walk brings together a community committed to the JDRF mission to remove the burden of this disease from the lives of those they care about most.

The enthusiasm and spirit of Team Delilah stood out among all teams.

The 5 mile fundraising walk from Foley Square in Manhattan,over the Brooklyn Bridge, and back again, helped TEAM DELILAH raise over $250,000 since 2008. Contributions from friends and family has already made a difference for those with type 1 with life-changing therapies that have been supported by JDRF from research, to trial, to daily use. JDRF will not stop until type one becomes type none.

The Stanwich Heart really stood out on this special, celebratory day and Delilah and her family are immensely grateful to all of those who “walk the walk” with us in so many ways.

FAMILY SKATING AT CHELSEA PIERS

All-School Open Skate Stanwich will be having an “open skate” for Stanwich families at Chelsea Piers during the winter on Friday afternoons. The open skate is open to all members of the Stanwich community. There will be no cost to attend the skate, but donations to the Stanwich Physical Education department are welcome. The skate sessions will be from 2:00-3:00pm, and parents are asked to stay to supervise their children.

OPEN SKATE SESSIONS

November 14, 21 December 5, 13 January 9, 16, 23, 30 February 6, 20, 27 March 6

www2.jdrf.org/goto/teamdelilah

Global Inventors in Training Offered as an “Afters” class in the Intermediate House, students are using one of the most game changing technologies of our time, 3D printing.

In a small group setting, students are learning how to use 3D printing design software (called CAD) and solar circuits to create an invention to help solve a real-life problem. Stanwich students taking the Level Up Villages Afters class are partnering with a group of students from Pakistan who are taking the same class - affording both the opportunity to learn about and from one another, through a closed social network.

Recently, one of the Level Up Villages instructors from Mali, Pakistan visited Stanwich and taught a lesson. As part of the partnership, 12 Fall/Winter 2014

when students take the class, 30% of the profit from the class is given back to the global partner class of students living in poverty and to whom, creating solar light is of utmost importance. The Stanwich students and the students in Pakistan are designing an invention together and testing one another’s work by talking over video conferencing and video letter exchange, and printing each other’s designs. This is cutting edge technology, innovation and creativity at it’s best.

The Stanwich Heart

Stanwich Student Attends Summer Institute for the Gifted Program

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his summer, Jordan Mirable, a Grade 5 student, attended the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) at Sarah Lawrence College. SIG provides academically advanced students with an interesting and challenging educational experience by combining academic courses with cultural, social and recreational opportunities.

At the end of the 3-week program, Jordan was asked to give the Student Speech at the Closing Ceremony. The topic that he was asked to discuss was: Why he would encourage a student to attend SIG during the summer months. Jordan addressed all students, faculty, families and prospective families with his 5-minute speech. While attending SIG, Jordan chose to take the following classes: Anticipating Algebra, Art Alley, Astronomy, and The science of Spy, Secret Surveillance.

Sophomore Studies in Scotland Cami Lavoie, sophomore, is spending the first semester of the school year abroad in Scotland at the Gordonstoun School.

“It was my idea to study abroad,” she said. ”I just wanted to do something different.” It certainly is a new experience. Despite the hasty transition into a new school and country, she has found herself warmly welcomed into the Gordonstoun family.

“I think it was easy to settle into because like Stanwich, Gordonstoun is a close-knit community,” she admitted. “Everyone is really friendly and welcoming, so it felt like home really quickly.”

Much like Stanwich, the school enables students to lend a helping hand in their community, though services extend to bolder and more individualized activities such as “fire fighting and coast guards.”

When questioned about advice that could be relayed to other students interested in studying abroad, Cami was more than happy to share her tips for success.

“I think (my advice would be to])probably just not be afraid of trying something new, and going somewhere that you maybe haven’t been before. Also, pick somewhere really culturally different,” she added. “So you can experience a new way of life.”

Cami will finish her semester in Scotland and returns to Stanwich in January. ­­—Yona Dervishi ‘17, Editor-inChief, The Stanwich Post

IH Student Nationally Recognized in National French Exam Fluent in French, Grade 6 student Ashley Hatstadt was recognized as the bronze medal winner of the National French Exam in 2012, placed fifth in 2013, and tenth in 2014.

Roughly 5,000 middle school students participate in this annual competition.

Competition is nothing new for Ashley as she placed in the top 10% in the country for Johns Hopkins Talented Youth exam, was the Stanwich Intermediate House Scripps Spelling Bee winner in Grade 4, and has received the Award for Excellence from Alliance Francaise for four consecutive years.

Sports and music also play an important role in Ashley’s life as she is a member of the Greenwich Travel Soccer “A” Team, a nationally ranked GU13 squash player, and is a Young Musicians Festival Gold Cup recipient for piano.

www.stanwichschool.org

Runner Receives Coach’s Award Fifth-grader Allegra Peardon is off-andrunning — literally. For the past two years, Allegra has spent one afternoon a week running as part of the Greenwich Track Club’s program.

This fall, she received the “Coach’s Award” from the organization.

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News

Upper School Student Government Formed

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Those Who Remain On the eve of Veterans Day, author and Vietnam War widow Ruth W. Crocker presented a moving talk titled, Remembrance After War. In Crocker’s compelling memoir, Those Who Remain: Remembrance and Reunion After War, she writes about the battlefield death of her husband, a courageous army officer. Crocker spoke about how she was inspired to climb to the treacherous north face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps to find solace. Years later, she discovered that those who survived the war - his comrades devoted to keeping his memory alive - would bring the ultimate healing into her life.

n a close vote, Daniel Gusinski won the recent Student Government presidency and junior Ian Davis won the vice-presidency. Seniors Victoria Slater and Daniel Gusinksi presented powerful speeches on Upper School Election Day and with all the votes counted, Daniel and Ian were elected as the President and Vice President for Stanwich for 2014-2015.

“I want to make a change in the school for the better,” Ian told students in his speech. “This is not my school, this is not the teacher’s school, this is our school.”

When asked what inspired him to run, Ian said, “I want to be a leader. I wanted to run,” he said.

Ian already has ideas that he wants to push through. “I wanted to set up a backwards day where everybody would do things backwards.”

Victoria Slater made a moving speech and listed some of the changes she wanted to make. “Two of the ideas to better the community are to update the snacks option and appliances of Spartan Hall,” she explained in a highly professional speech. “This building is our home base and we need to customize it.”

Daniel’s speech made everyone laugh by starting off with strong questions and following up with unique explanations. Daniel began with the big question, “What is a leader?” and followed with,“This is a question I have been asking myself for days, months, years, decades, centuries, and perhaps a millennium.”

He joked about looking up the proper definition of leader but eventually told his audience his real thoughts on the topic. “A real leader is just a backbone; a backbone to President: Daniel Gusinski ‘15 ideas, events, opportunities, a backbone to every single Vice President: Ian Davis ‘16 one of you.”

He continued saying the students will be a the bigAdvisory Representatives: gest part of change they want to see. “I want each and Grade 7 every single person here to be part of something,” Daniel Smith: Carter Boykin-Holland reminded everyone. “Whatever you choose, whoever you vote for, you are part of this legacy that comes together Milostan: Talie Daetwiler as a community.” Daniel told The Stanwich Post that one Hughes: Ethan Bastianich idea is making the Senior House Triskellion Cup competition bigger and better where there are multiple events, Grade 8 not just once a month competitions.

Abbott: Billy Nail Once the votes were tallied, the school had an elected Weyant: Olivia Lapine President and each candidate showed good grace and Latimore: Yusef Abaza kindness.

When Daniel found out he won, he said, “I want Nacher: Sam Walker everybody to know that I am a backbone to the entire Grade 9 community – we are all part of the same organism.”

Victoria was solid and professional after the election Fletcher: Henry Hittle as well. “Daniel is a really good candidate and I know he Hendricks: Maeve Sebold will do a great job,” she told The Stanwich Post. ”I will still have a place in Student Government.”

Grade 10

Student Government

—Samantha Erfe ‘17, Stanwich Post Reporter

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Katona: Jenny Matute (fall) & Shelby Crimmins (spring) Wood: Matt Schindel (fall) & Michelle Wakim (spring) The Stanwich Heart

Project is a Blessing

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hen Stanwich School science teacher Shaun Fletcher traveled to Rwanda in the summer of 2008 he was on a quest — he was searching for a community with needs that Stanwich could support on a long-term basis. And he found what he was looking for in Cybatanzit, a rural Rwandan community.

This past June, Fletcher and Stanwich Upper School history teacher Jackie Wood and Grade 4 teacher Cristin Robb traveled to Cyabatanzit with 20 Stanwich School students and alumni to take part in Project Blessing, so named because its work will be a “blessing” to the men, women and children of the village – as a multi-phase project with limitless opportunities.

Over the past few years, the funds raised by the Stanwich community have been used to construct a water well, three kindergarten classrooms, a kindergarten playground, as well as the foundation for a Grades 1 - 3 classroom. Mr. Fletcher projected a goal of raising $20,000 for Project Blessing this school year.

“For me, the fact that the Blessing School is open, and actually seeing children in the school was powerful. Up until recently, all that was created was infrastructure. Now, it’s a school,” said Mr. Fletcher.

Echoing her colleague’s reflections, Jackie Wood said, “It was wonderful to see our kids in an environment that was totally different from what they are accustomed to. They rose to the challenges every day and demonstrated energy, responsibility, passion and commitment. I was happy to see them be a part of helping a community outside of their own.”

The long-term project includes drilling and installing a fresh water, and the construction of various buildings, such as kindergarten classrooms, a library, medical center, Primary 1-9 class-

Teacher Jackie Wood with Stanwich students and alumni in Cybatanzit, Rwanda this past June. rooms, and full bathrooms complete with showers and a laundry room. A critical aspect of the project was the creation of a water system, a waste management system and an irrigation system in order to support a community-led fruit and vegetable farm.

Stanwich students and alumni, Alice Belshaw, Jackson Boolbol, Lukens Boolbol, Joel Davis, Ian Davis, Caroline DiModica, JJ Evans, Sam Goldberg, Natalie Gustin, Kay Holscher, Kaiser Klebes Daisy Mayer, Lawson Mayer, Caroline Robinson, Valerie Romo, Charlie Rote, Kelly Spector, Alexandra Touzot, Sam Varshisky, and Izabel Vigale, spent two weeks living in the community for which they helped raised funds. The teens also visited orphanages and local classrooms where they helped teachers learn to speak and write in English and learn computer skills.

Kings of the Hill ImPACT Baseline Concussion Testing As part of a comprehensive approach to preventing and treating concussions, for the past three years, Stanwich has conducted ImPACT testing for all of its student athletes. ImPACT is a computerized test that establishes a neurocognitive baseline, which can be used as a tool when making decisions about treatment and care if a child suffers a concussion.

Rob Higle, Stanwich’s Director of Athletics who has been trained to be the school’s ImPACT administrator, says “Sports safety is the first priority at Stanwich. We are committed to providing the most professional and safe environment for our athletes, and partnering with ImPACT has enabled us to do exactly that.”

www.stanwichschool.org

Recently, Sean Collins, Jake Edward and Harrison and Oliver Servedio participated in the National Scholastic Chess Foundation tournament at Columbus Elementary School in New Rochelle. They were proud to represent Stanwich in two tournament sections and got the Spartans Chess Team off to an exciting start!

Jake played in the K-1 section, winning a first place trophy for Stanwich School in that section.

Sean, Harrison and Oliver played in the Primary Novice section.

Oliver came in 2nd, Sean 5th and Harrison 6th.

They also took a first place team trophy back to Stanwich for their section!

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Unified Campus

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Mind Body Spirit Campus

isiting a morning Primary House Assembly during the second week of school, Jerome Murphy, Head of Upper School asked the children, “What is so special about all of us being on one campus?” As a sea of hands filled the air, second grader Beata Service boldly answered, “Because all of our Stanwich hearts are connected now.”

No one could have said it better.

Much time and planning went into the consolidation of having the Upper School campus, located in Stamford, folded into the Lower School campus in Greenwich.

By moving the school’s PreK and Kindergarten classrooms into a beautiful 5,000 square foot facility at neighboring St. Agnes Church, and reclaiming a number of offices and classrooms occupied by the building’s former owners, the school’s administration and trustees realized that a one-campus model could be accomplished.

After schematics and necessary permits were in place, the conversion of the second floor of the main building, the

After more than a decade of being on two campuses, students, faculty and parents are celebrating the unification of one campus at 257 Stanwich Road

first floor art studio, the lower level of the Intermediate House, and Wildwood Cottage began in early June.

The second floor of Stanwich’s main building is home to two types of classrooms: one being a traditional lecture-style set-up, and the other being a seminar room fitted with a “Harkness” table to facilitate group discussion. Also on the second floor is a state-of-the-art science lab.

An inspiring art studio was created by reconfiguring under-utilized space, and upgraded music and library spaces were revamped as well.

Bricks and Mortar The bricks and mortar at 257 Stanwich Road hold 60,000 square feet of educational space. However, members of the Stanwich community find that what is more important than the walls that house the facility, is what happens inside those walls.

According to Paul Geise, Head of School, “As an organization, Stanwich strives for excellence and an atmosphere

“I’m glad to be home.”

Henry Hittle ‘18, at Stanwich since Kindergarten 16 Fall/Winter 2014

of continuous learning. As such, the school chose to embark on a process that demonstrated its institutional ability to learn, grow, and pursue excellence, all on one campus. Being together as one community, we will be able to create the next outstanding chapter in the Stanwich story, together.”

Reflecting on the Upper School’s move to its permanent home in Greenwich, freshman Henry Hittle remarked, “I like the atmosphere here. We’re really a close knit community — more so than we were in Stamford — and I really like that type of experience. I remember being here in Kindergarten, which seems like such a long time ago, and I think it’s fun to see all of the little kids around campus,” said Henry. “When we see the younger kids in Spartan Hall, it absolutely reminds us that we need to be good role models. I’m just glad to be home.”

A common theme among other students who spent time at the Stamford campus was the display of good citizenship back at 257 Stanwich Road. “Seeing the kids brings back a lot of memories,” said Grade 8 student Andria Warren, who joined Stanwich in Kindergarten. “(The Lower School students) are awesome, and because we see each other, we have to think about how we influence them.”

The Stanwich Heart

Commonplace Following are some insights shared by Upper School students: • We’re one community • We have a good gym now • Outdoor dining spaces are great • Brings back great memories • Cute Lower School students • More time for sports • Access to an awesome field • Don’t have to take a shuttle • Amazing renovations • Nice to see familiar faces

www.stanwichschool.org

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Academic Enrichment

Stanwich Shines + at STEM Expo

An afternoon of workshops focusing on science, technology, engineering and math ignited the curiosity of more than 150 local students

W

hen class offerings reach their full capacity well in advance of an event, that’s a clear indication of a successful event.

At Stanwich’s recent STEM Expo, a number of popular science, technology, engineering and math classes “sold out” at the 1-day educational showcase. Offerings such as Chemistry Myth Busters, Spy Detective & Fingerprinting and Nanotechnology Engineering had children engaged in learning during the dynamic Expo hosted at Stanwich on Saturday, October 18.

Stanwich’s event featured more than two dozen hands-on, energizing workshops for 150 academically curious children in PreKindergarten through Grade 6 from all over Fairfield and Westchester counties.

“I loved seeing how excited the kids were about learning and listening to their ideas about experiments they wanted to test on their own,” said Lindsay Wohl, Stanwich Grade 3 teacher talking about the Chemistry Myth Busters workshop she and fellow

STEM Expo

By The Numbers 157 students 22 workshops 29 teachers 18 student volunteers 35 parent volunteers 7 staff members 18 Fall/Winter 2014

Stanwich Grade 3 teacher Danny Combatti offered. “We follow the same process in our classroom at Stanwich by creating a hypothesis, making predictions and drawing conclusions. At STEM Expo, we were really highlighting how a typical Grade 3 Stanwich science class is run.”

Echoing her enthusiasm for science, Stanwich Grade 5 teacher TJ Ramirez reflected, “Our workshop on Soccer Physics: Arc & Speed was a wonderful way to teach the kids that science and sports have a strong connection. They were curious about what soccer has to do with science, and quickly learned that arch and velocity are components of both.”

Attending the Squid Dissection workshop, fourth-grader Isabella Long exclaimed, “It was rather gross at first, but it was also very fun. I thought that the squid ink might squirt on me, but it didn’t. If I had the choice, I would do it again. I also really liked the Lego Robotics class where we had to build a windmill by ourselves — and we did it.”

Reflecting on the Living in a 2-D Universe workshop offered to Grade 3 and 4 students, Stanwich Lower School Math Specialist Craig Colavito was pleased with the number of insightful and thought-provoking questions asked by attendees. “The students walked away with a solid knowledge of how to view dimensions from a different perspective,” he said.

To round out the experience, parents attended a keynote panel discussion on “New Findings on Climate Change in Connecticut”

offered by Dr. Penny Vlahos, Associate Professor of Marine Sciences, Chemical Engineering and Chemical Oceanography at the University of Connecticut, and Ted Gilman of Audubon Greenwich. Following the keynote, parents attended one of three insightful, thought-provoking workshops on the topics of “Building Character and Leadership Qualities in Your Child,” and “Young Athletes: Single Sport Focus vs. Multi-Sport Development,” and “The Preschool Years.”

Head of School, Paul Geise, not only gave the “Building Character” parent workshop, he also ran the popular Deconstruction Lab workshop for students in grades 5 and 6. ““I was thrilled to witness the level of engagement among the students as they “dissected” among other things a light-bulb, a hair dryer, a dust buster, and even a laptop computer. Deep inquiry permeated the session with these budding engineers; I needed shoo them away to attend their second session,” said Mr. Geise.

According to Stanwich Parent Melinda Lorenz, organizer of STEM Expo, nearly 70% of the students in attendance came from other schools. For most of these students, STEM Expo was an afternoon of academic enrichment and fun; however for many of the parents, it was an opportunity to see Stanwich’s stellar faculty in action.

“The Stem Expo committee put a lot of thought and planning into the outreach program,” said Mrs. Lorenz. “We wanted to offer something unique, something a student would not find anywhere else.”

The Stanwich Heart

www.stanwichschool.org

Fall/Winter 2014 19

School Spirit

Triskelion Cup Challe Triskelion Cup Brings Tradition and Competition to Stanwich’s Senior House

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ith the inaugural year of the Triskelion Cup underway, Senior House students are leading a new tradition that includes yearlong tournaments that challenge the mind, body and spirit. These games are designed to bring together the Senior House students throughout the high school, creating another opportunity for students to get to know each other in a fun way. Influenced by the British house system that was popularized by the Harry Potter series, Stanwich has added a new twist to its academic structure. The Triskelion Cup consists of three houses of students in grades 9 through 12 who are separated into, and are named after, famous Connecticut historical figures: Nathan Hale, Mark Twain, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Throughout the year the three teams will compete to win the silver Triskelion Cup. When asked about the house system, Mr. Fletcher, Upper School Science teacher and alum of the system raved about it. “It’s where the family lives,” he said. “We’re all about community and supporting each other. Instead of being in a big school, I was in a small community within a big school. There was always a place for me to go.”

His personal experiences from his house are fondly remembered. “The purpose of it was always having a place to go and being a part of something,” Mr. Fletcher added. “There were so many inter-house events like soccer, geography bees, swimming.”

Stanwich is adopting the structure where all siblings and family members down the line will be in the same house. On a monthly basis, Senior House students will gather for competitions related to mind, body and spirit.

Teams can also win valuable points for good citizenship, service learning opportunities, and exemplifying school spirit, and are rewarded with breakfast and a dress down day for the winning team of the month.

In a recent email interview, Mrs. Diane Sebold, Upper School Advocate for the Parent Association and driving force for the Triskelion Cup, explained what sparked the idea of the cup. “Many people are familiar with the concept from the “Harry Potter” novels, but in reality, J.K. Rowling borrowed the idea from the British school tradition,” she continued. “Numerous American schools have now successfully adopted the tradition, and I thought it would help enhance the high school experience at Stanwich.”

Mrs. Sebold hopes that what students will gain will be similar to Mr. Fletcher’s experiences.

“The goal of the Triskelion Cup is to promote healthy interaction and competition among all students in grades 9 through 12. As friendly rivalries emerge between the houses, the challenges will regard those students who work together as a house to accomplish their goals.”

A few hints were alluded to about future competitions. “We have some great challenges coming up, including a GPS treasure hunt designed to incorporate military history to help promote awareness of Veterans Day. Also, the Senior Captains will have a hand in designing some of the challenges,” said Jerome Murphy, Head of Upper School.

The intention is to start a tradition. “Hopefully, if today’s students return for a visit in 5 to 10 years, they will see that the Triskelion Cup Tournament continues to thrive and they will be able to cheer on their house to win the Cup,” said Mrs. Sebold.

— Samantha Erfe ‘17, Stanwich Post Reporter and Victoria Slater ‘15, Stanwich Post Editor

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The Stanwich Heart

OVERALL STANDINGS HALE

445 Points

TWAIN

415 Points

STOWE

395 Points

enge

“We’re all about community and supporting each other.” —Shaun Fletcher, Upper School Science Teacher www.stanwichschool.org

Fall/Winter 2014 21

From the Parent Association

Naomi Azrak

President, Parent Association

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n behalf of the Parent Association, welcome back to an exciting new year at Stanwich. Seeing “One School, One Campus” in action for the past two months has been truly exciting and inspiring.

The fall months have been busy for the PA, with the coordination of eight grade level coffees, and ten grade level cocktail

parties in September. Thank you to Paul and Robin Geise for hosting the coffees in their home, and to the many Stanwich parents who graciously hosted the cocktail parties. Amy Andrews and Jennifer Servedio on our PA Board did a great job in cocktail party coordination.

The pace of activity continued into October with PA volunteers helping Melinda Lorenz run another successful STEM Expo in mid-October. And earlier this month Karen Richard and her committee volunteers coordinating a beautiful and well-attended “Fall into Books” Book Fair.

Two author talks this fall — with Ian Cron “Cultivating Mindfulness” and Ruth Crocker “Remembrance of War” — provided opportunities for our parents to connect and reflect. Thanks to Kristen Beckman and

Laurel Peterson for their coordination of the author talks.

At press time, it was evident that Parent/ Faculty Trivia night was once again going to be a sold-out event, but the November 21st event winner was still unknown. Regardless of whether the Faculty table defended their title or not, the excitement from all participants reflects how engaged our parent and faculty communities are here at Stanwich. A big thanks to PA coordinator (and VP) Janine Kennedy, who always knows how to throw a great party.

Finally, our PA campaign for volunteers has been a huge success with over 280 sign ups for past and upcoming initiatives. If you haven’t had a chance to sign up, go to “Parent Association Volunteer Opportunities” on the school website to see how you can get involved and get connected!

Announcements from the PA ARTS & ENRICHMENT HIGHLIGHTS On behalf of the PA and Special Events committee, I would like to thank again all of the families that opened their homes this fall to host our Class Cocktail Parties.

A wonderful time was had by all! Thank you to Greg and Kristine Gigliotti, Etienne and Veronica Touzot, Paul and Elin Collins, Nick and Anastasia Brien, Justin and Jennifer Shaw, Tony and Jenn Frascella, Jeff and KimMarie Evans, Yoav and Natalie Wiegenfeld, Jim and Melissa Raezer and Leonardo and Camilla Gazal. Thank you all very much! —Amy Andrews

This Fall at Stanwich the Friday Arts and Enrichment assemblies were a great success.

We welcomed performer and mime Robert Rivest, and Horizon Wings, a wildlife rehabilitation center specializing in birds of prey. — ­ Thanks to PA coordinator Kristin Taylor

Charter Day Celebration!

Save the Date * Friday, January 30 CHARTER DAY is the day the state of Connecticut recognized The Stanwich School as a new school by signing our charter certificate. Classes commenced the following September.

We are marking our 17th year!

Friday, January 30 Details to follow Hosted by the Parent Association

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The Stanwich Heart

Fall Into Books Was A Big Success! Thanks to You! On Sunday, November 1st, the Stanwich community enjoyed a windy day for the “Fall Into Books” harvest themed Book Fair. Mr. Clark and his team were on deck to help everyone find the perfect book. Stanwich student musicians, led by instructors Kreg Gotschall and Kerry Gotschall, entertained our shoppers and brought the gym to life. Craft and tattoo stations entertained our youngest shoppers while The Spartan Market Café provided delicious pick-me up sandwiches and treats. A highlight of the day’s event was a drawing for a Go-Pro camera, a customized giant Stanwich bean bag chair and beautiful holiday floral arrangement! Thank you to the Richard, Hisler and Taylor families for these donated items. The fun continued into Monday with class visits and more wonderful books were selected; many students donated new books to our library and classrooms.

The Book Fair Committee would like to thank all the amazing Stanwich staff who helped to make this event possible, especially Michael Clark, Caroline Worra, Kreg Gotschall, Kerry Gotschall, Adam Pacchiana, Reggie Parron, Phillip Grant, and Laura Dianis.

A million thank-you’s to our Book Fair Committee and countless volunteers who helped out at the event, especially Jennifer Frascella, Lynn Schwartz, Maureen Vitanza, Jennifer Servedio, Susan Tejpaul, Cheryl Heike, Karen Colella, Kara Gerardi, Marli Beer, Greta Messina, Kristine Gigliotti, Stephanie Nedzamar, Gretchen Foran, Janette Root and Elizabeth Fitts.

We thank everyone in the Stanwich community for their generosity and support of this lively and fun event. Proceeds from the book fair benefit the operations of the Stanwich Parent Association. —Karen Richard, Book Fair Chair

www.stanwichschool.org

Fall/Winter 2014 23

The Stanwich School 257 Stanwich Road Greenwich, CT 06830

The Back Page

JOY

Join us to celebrate the

calling all alumni

of the season!

Upper School Concert and Art Show Wednesday, December 10 at 6:00pm Stanwich Gymnasium

Wildwood Holiday Performance Thursday, December 18 at 8:30am Wildwood Cottage

Intermediate House Concert

NOVEMBER 26, 2014 Wednesday, November 26 • 1:00pm

Wednesday, December 17 at 6:00pm Stanwich Gymnasium

th

257 Stanwich Road • Greenwich

Primary House Holiday Performance

Faculty vs. Alumni

Friday, December 19 at 11:00am PH dismissal to follow

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The Stanwich Heart