15 minute read
Class of 2021
2 1 The following are remarks made by Head of School Aaron Cooper to the Class of 2021 on June 16.
“I will start by sharing a Buddhist parable about a farmer and a horse. Once there was a farmer who had a horse. The horse helped the farmer farm the land for a long time. One day, the horse ran away. The farmer’s neighbor came by and, upon hearing about the horse, said, ‘Oh, that is so terrible.’ The farmer responded, ‘Perhaps.’
The next day, the horse returned from its travels and brought with it several wild horses it had befriended. Upon hearing this, the neighbor said, ‘That is so wonderful,’ and the farmer responded, ‘Perhaps.’
The next day, the farmer’s child was breaking the horses so they could work on the farm, and one of the horses threw the child and the child broke their leg. The neighbor came over and said, ‘Oh that is terrible.’ ‘Perhaps.’
The next day, the country went to war and all ablebodied children were conscripted to fight in the army. The farmer’s child was spared due to the broken leg. The neighbor said, ‘How lucky that is.’ And the farmer again responded, ‘Perhaps.’
Whether experiencing something that initially seemed good or bad, equally, the farmer simply replied, ‘Perhaps.’ The Buddhist principle underlying this story is one of non-judgment. Things that seem negative may not end up that way, and conversely, experiences that seem positive may not be. The mindset of non-judgment is to accept each equally and then to try to make the most out of the situation. Let’s look at this year through that lens.
1. Annie Nichols presented the Class Reflection. 2. Henry Warner, Will Mackey and Sam Jones
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If we had told someone that your last year here would be one where there would be no OAT trip, where you would wear masks every day, have almost no sports games, no expanded studies trips, no assemblies or interaction with younger students, where you would eat lunch in a tent every day no matter whether it is 90-degree humidity or 10-degree blustery, that you would not see your siblings around campus, and you would not even walk through the front door of the building, any person would probably say ‘That stinks.’ On its face, it is too bad. I am sad for you that you did not get to do those things. I am sure, on some level, you are also disappointed. And yet, given the necessity of the time, it is your response that really counts.
Let’s think back to the parable of the farmer and the horse. After the horse had run away and returned with the wild horses, what did the farmer do? Sit back and smile? No, the farmer set out to train the horses. Because that is the other part of non-judgment — of the mindset of ‘perhaps’: You have the ability to impact the outcome. It is, in many ways, what you make out of it. And you have made a lot out of it.
You have achieved in your classes. You have won awards. You have won the few sports games you have had. You have shown the younger students the way through seriousness of purpose, through your enthusiasm and through your spirit. Effectively, when you could have said, ‘That’s terrible,’ you have actually said, ‘Perhaps.’ Even more than how you have overcome the obstacles you have faced, you have also
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3. Maria Flores, Alice Nash, Oliver
Jellinek, Rheda Young and
Harper Teles 4. Nelson, Hunter and Beth Griggs 5. Maddy, Caleb, Jodi and
Major Hasbrouck 6. Walker and Ella Harvey 7. Maija and Wilder Judelson 8. Sue, Hunter, Colin, Will, Logan and Cam Mackey 9. Denise, Alina and Doug Harned 10. Aaron, Julia, Kara and
Charlotte Cooper 11. Jamie Grubb 12. Cece and Pippa Johnson 13. Miles and Frances Chandor 14. Beth, Fiona and Michael Gosk 15. Ninth graders await the processional.
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16. Hunter Griggs 17. Ashley and Miller Burr 18. Javier, Maria, Samantha and
Johana Flores 19. Wave Walters, Maddy
Hasbrouck and Anna Majewski 20. Annie and Will Boggess 21. Jake, Lorny and Polly Goodyear 22. Isobel Goldberg, Elsa Franks,
Ella Sanders, Elizabeth Hackett and Mackenzie Coffield, who departed after eighth grade, returned to watch the event. 23. Ben Bilden, John Bajaj, Ned Smith,
Henry Warner and Will Mackey 24. Elizabeth and Kat Thompson 25. Trip Hurley 26. Conrado and Octavio Calderini 27. Scott, Bradley, Wendy and
Ryan ’19 Werneburg 28. Harper Teles 29. Henry, Sanny Burnham
Warner ’88 and Matt Warner 30. Tina, Sam, Banc ’85 and
Lucy ’18 Jones 16
built muscle. You have built resilience. You have persevered. You have experienced a lot of things that would deflate others, and you have shown the ability to rise above that.
Undoubtedly, you have learned a lot in your time here. You know who you are and what interests you and what you care about. You know how to comfort a friend in pain and to include rather than exclude. You know how to be a good teammate and to speak up to share your opinions. You know how to construct an argument and deliver a speech and solve for the roots of a function. And you know how to tap trees for maple syrup and throw pottery and build furniture and paint bricks — well, most of you, at least. As you head off to new schools and new adventures, you are ready for whatever challenges await.
As you do that, though, maybe it is simply the spirit of ‘perhaps’ that is the essence of what you are taking with you.
You will get to a school where you do not know most — if any — of the people. Sounds hard, right? Perhaps.
You will find a class really hard and may doubt whether you belong. Sounds bad, right? Perhaps.
You are going to fail a test and you are going to ace a test. You will make a friend and you will lose a friend. You will win a game and you will lose a game. You will have great moments and you will have bad moments. And of course, you will feel elation and relief and disappointment and anger, and all the emotions that are appropriate for those experiences. If, at the same time, you can also say ‘perhaps,’ if you can realize that that single success or failure, even if it is the latest in a string of other successes or failures, does not define the future, and if you are then able to reflect on what contributed to that success or failure, and if you then focus on either doing better next time or building on that success, you will be using the lessons you learned and muscles you 23
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Three of our 2021 graduates are children of alumni: Sharon Gibbons Teles ’88, Sanny Burnham Warner ’88 and Banc Jones ’85
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31. Lloyd, Alex ’18, Ben,
Lynne, William ’16 and
Nicholas ’14 Byrnes 32. Marcy, Virginia ’16, Beth, Ned,
Madeleine ’14 and Hunter Smith 33. Sheldon and Walker Bright 34. Sophie ’18 and John Bajaj 35. Greg and Wave Walters and
Torrance York 36. Leigh Kennedy, Charlie, Phil and
Maggie ’19 Ruvinsky 37. Annie Nichols and Julia Cooper,
Jane Walsh and Fiona Gosk 38. Phoebe ’18 and Henry Naylor 39. Mary, Anna and Tom Majewski 40. Ben, Samara, Zach, James,
Caroline and Peter Bilden. Ben delivered the Class Salutation. 34
More photos available www.nccs.smugmug.com
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THAT’S A WRAP!
The Byrne family concludes 18 years at Country School. Also noteworthy are the Bright and Walters families each with 15 years, the Johnson family with 14 years, the Gizzie, Smith and Warner families with 13 years each, and the Bajaj, Cherry, Jones, Petricone and Ruvinsky families each with 12 years.
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developed this year. And that is the opposite of ‘terrible’ or ‘too bad.’ That is not disappointing. That is great.
Decades from now, history will remember the Class of 2021 at schools everywhere. You led us through the pandemic; you had the most unique final year at your school possible. You navigated quarantines, masks, distance learning, plexiglass, distancing and all the rest. People will admire you for all you did to persevere and flourish despite the adversity. No one will remember the bad grades, the missed trips, the arguments or the low times. I do not think you will, either. On the whole, by doing your best, by making the most, you made an impact — and that you will remember.
So, in addition to all that you learned in your classes and activities, I hope you take the resilience and flexibility and patience and focus that you showed and developed this year and make the most of it. In the words of our mission, we expect that you will go on to lead lives of impact and purpose. So go make a difference in something that drives you. It will not be easy, and you will have moments of doubt but your teachers and your families and I know you can do it.” 38
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We are so proud of you! “
Congratulations on graduating from NCCS and thank you for all you have given our community through your spirit, your courage and your ability to weather the storm.”
(Front row left to right): Ella Harvey, Madelynn Hasbrouck, Wave Walters, Anna Majewski, Alina Harned, Maria Flores, Cece Johnson, Harper Teles; (second row left to right): Wilder Judelson, Kathryn Thompson, Jane Walsh, Julia Cooper, Miller Burr, Frances Chandor, Fiona Gosk, Annie Nichols, Hunter Griggs; (third row left to right): Oliver Jellinek, Henry Naylor, Henry Warner, Jamie Grubb, John Bajaj, Trip Hurley, Bradley Werneburg, Ben Byrne, Campbell Essex; (fourth row left to right): Ned Smith, Will Mackey, Ben Bilden, Will Boggess, Sam Jones, Conrado Calderini, Charlie Ruvinsky, Lorny Goodyear and Walker Bright.
Congratulations!
Class of 2021 Secondary School Destinations
John Bajaj................................................The Loomis Chaffee School Ben Bilden.........................................Greenwich Country Day School Will Boggess ..........................................................St. George’s School Walker Bright ............................................................Berkshire School Miller Burr ..................................................................Berkshire School Ben Byrne ...................................................................Berkshire School Conrado Calderini .....................................................Berkshire School Frances Chandor .......................................................Millbrook School Julia Cooper......................................................The Hotchkiss School Campbell Essex ...................................................................King School Maria Flores...................................................Rye Country Day School Lorny Goodyear ..................................................Westminster School Fiona Gosk...........................................................Miss Porter’s School Hunter Griggs .....................................................................Kent School Jamie Grubb ..............................................................St. Mark’s School Alina Harned .......................................................................Kent School Ella Harvey.............................................................St. George’s School Madelynn Hasbrouck.........................Brien McMahon High SchoolMarine Science Academy Trip Hurley...........................................................Westminster School Oliver Jellinek ...........................................................Millbrook School Cece Johnson.........................................The Loomis Chaffee School Sam Jones .....................................................................Pomfret School Wilder Judelson.......................................Trinity Preparatory School Will Mackey.......................................Greenwich Country Day School Anna Majewski .............................................................Pomfret School Henry Naylor .......................................................Westminster School Annie Nichols.........................................The Loomis Chaffee School Charlie Ruvinsky .......................................................Berkshire School Ned Smith....................................................New Canaan High School Harper Teles .................................................................The Taft School Kathryn Thompson........................................................Brooks School Jane Walsh ....................................................................The Taft School Wave Walters ...............................................................Hopkins School Henry Warner ......................................................Westminster School Bradley Werneburg ....................................New Canaan High School
See page 62 for Class of 2018 college destinations.
I,m Ready...
Congratulations, Class of 2021!
For more than 100 years, Country School has provided an intentional journey that balances strong academic preparation with social-emotional development for children age 3 through Grade 9. The result is alumni who are confident leaders and bold thinkers who are prepared to continue to their next school and beyond.
—Maria Flores of Stamford attends Rye Country Day School
—Jamie Grubb of Bedford, NY, attends St. Mark’s School
—Henry Warner of New Canaan attends Westminster School
—Maddy Hasbrouck of Norwalk attends Brien McMahon High SchoolMarine Science Academy
—Jane Walsh of Wilton attends The Taft School
—Will Mackey of New Canaan attends Greenwich Country Day School
Celebrating
Our Eighth Graders
At our Celebration of Eighth Graders on June 15, Head of Upper School Karl Palmgren recognized the 62 members of the Class of 2022 as “independent, self-motivated, confident, good communicators, hard workers, resilient, empathetic, joyful and collaborative.”
Mr. Palmgren noted the class’s ability to coalesce when under pressure, forming a stronger whole. He went on to mention the concept of an arch in its relation to this year: “The way to strengthen an arch is to put weight on it, because it binds the stones together, and only with tension does it hold weight. This year has bound this group together in so many ways, and there is a high tensile strength to that cohesion. So regardless of where you go for ninth grade, look around. This is your home. These are your people. And we couldn’t be prouder of you. We only ask that you continue to live by and commit yourself to those shared aspirations and the core values you have learned here at Country School, those of courage, curiosity, community and kindness.”
Eighth grader Ifeanyi Ndokwu of Stamford delivered the Class Reflection: “No matter how prepared you may be, life will always find something new to throw at you, and after four years I’ve seen problems stretching from bad grades to frustrating losses and especially embarrassing moments. I’ve evolved and become a better version of myself every time.”
Opposite: Ifeanyi Ndokwu delivered the Class Reflection at the school’s Eighth Grade Celebration June 15.
Right: Annie Harrigan, Vy Cullen and Ambika Nott
Members of the Eighth Grade Class of 2022:
Peyton Ambrose Leena Aronson Penelope
Arredondo Katelyn Barr Emily Behr Anne Boggess Brendan Buda Emma Cannon Sabina Cherry Rigsbee Conze Vy Cullen Caroline DiBiasio Eleanor duPont Courtney Edwards Regan Famigletti John Fichthorn Aoife Flanagan Joshua Fleuriot Matthew Fry Eloise Galante Andrew Gallagher Skyler Gendason Reed Ghriskey Lila Gizzie Niall Glynn Oliver Golden Elizabeth Hall Katherine Hanson Ann Harrigan Dominic Hartmann Ellie Israelov Oliver Johnson Sebastian Kelsey Lyla Koch Brandon Krongard Ella Kurtz Penelope Legnani Margaret Lewis Colin Mackey Daniel Marin Connor McNamara Mark McNamara Justin Mims Kieran Mohindra-
Green John Nally Ifeanyichukwu
Ndokwu Riley Newport Ambika Nott Brodie O’Connor Ana Petricone Morgan Powell Chandeny Rahman Matthew Rivera Ellie Rosolen Bray Rudd Dario Sanon Christopher Santa Isabella Sarracino Matthew Schell Margaret Seiden Alexandra
Sellschop Alex Thiersant
Class of 2022 Secondary School Destinations Best of Luck!
While 26 students returned for ninth grade, others will attend the following secondary schools:
Peyton Ambrose ........................................................St. Luke’s School Leena Aronson.................................Greenwich Country Day School Katie Barr.............................................................Greenwich Academy Emily Behr.........................................Greenwich Country Day School Emma Cannon.............................................Convent of Sacred Heart Sabina Cherry ...............................................................Hopkins School Rigs Conze ...........................................................................Kent School Vy Cullen.........................................................Greens Farms Academy Courtney Edwards .......................................................The Taft School Regan Famigletti........................................New Canaan High School Aoife Flanagan .............................................................Hopkins School Josh Fleuriot..........................................Brien McMahon High School Eloise Galante............................................The Lawrenceville School Skyler Gendason..............................Greenwich Country Day School Lila Gizzie..........................................................Choate Rosemary Hall Niall Glynn.......................................................Greens Farms Academy Elizabeth Hall....................................Northfield Mt. Hermon School Parker Hanson ............................................................St. Paul’s School Dominic Hartmann...............................Munich International School Ellie Israelov..............................................Phillips Academy Andover Oliver Johnson ..................................................The Hotchkiss School Sebastian Kelsey ...................................................Darien High School Brandon Krongard ....................................................IMG Academy, FL Ella Kurtz..............................................................Greenwich Academy Penelope Legnani.................................Brien McMahon High School Connor McNamara ...............................................Darien High School Mark McNamara ...................................................Darien High School Justin Mims .................................................................St. Luke’s School Kieran Mohindra-Green ...................St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Ifeanyi Ndokwu ................................................Choate Rosemary Hall Ambika Nott.................................................Rye Country Day School Ana Petricone...............................................Rye Country Day School Bray Rudd ..................................................................Suffield Academy Isabella Sarracino .......................................New Canaan High School Margot Seiden............................................................St. Luke’s School
Above: Alex Thiersant, Josh Fleuriot, Justin Mims, Ifeanyi Ndokwu and Dario Sanon
Right: Lyla Koch, Caroline DiBiasio, Skyler Gendason, Eleanor duPont and Sabina Cherry
