Spring 2013
IN THIS ISSUE Big Merger, Big Decisions A New Look for an Old Friend Wyverns in NYC Alumni Profile: Anne Peabody ‘85 A Day in the Life
By Alexandra S. Thurstone G ’80, ’84, Head of School
Merger, Decisions
It is hard to believe that it has already been more than a year since the two Boards of St. Francis School and St. Francis high School voted to merge the schools into one St. Francis School. I’d like to share with you some of the things we’ve accomplished since then, starting with some of the smaller things: merging our two sets of Bylaws into one; condensing our formerly 44 Trustees into one Board of 33; meeting as one large 90+ person faculty and staff several times and learning that we have more in common than we thought; transforming the Goshen Campus with new paint and carpet; creating one set of Student and Faculty Handbooks; and creating numerous connections between our students, which will culminate this spring in our first-ever all-St. Francis “field day.”
“The School of Thought” is something [all] campuses can agree on: teaching children of all ages to think independently and critically. — Survey Respondent Wyvern Report
One of the first big decisions the Board made in December is that neither of the two campuses that we currently own (Goshen and Downtown) will be moving for the foreseeable future, so at a minimum we will remain a two-campus School. As we all know, the decision on the location of the Goshen and Downtown campuses is one that many of us were very concerned about. While there are some who feel that one or the other campus should move, ultimately the Board decided that both the Goshen and Downtown campuses are pretty outstanding right where they are. One of the things that weighed heavily in the decision was the advice from the Founders of both campuses that each campus was specifically designed with the age of the students it serves in mind. This is extremely important and a major distinguishing factor about our School. The Goshen Campus was intentionally located “in the country,” on its current 64 beautiful acres, because a rural setting with ample outdoor space and the opportunity to convene with nature and run around in open spaces is extremely beneficial to young children and young adolescents. The innovative open-classroom format is a hallmark of the St. Francis JK-8 philosophy and is also instrumental in teaching children to develop selective focus (namely on what’s going on in class, rather than what’s going on around them), and in delivering our active and engaged teaching methods, as well as fostering cooperative learning. The Downtown Campus, on the other hand, was specifically developed with the adolescent in mind. While the High School always could have been built on the Goshen Campus, the Founders knew that a vibrant, urban setting is much better suited to teenagers who are preparing to go off into the real world soon. In addition, the city itself is an integral part of the Downtown Campus, as we use the libraries, downtown eateries, and city streets and pathways as an extension of our classrooms and campus. The
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OTHER 9%
NO OPINION 7% DISAGREE 8%
AGREE 85%
BLUE/WHITE 17%
BLUE/RED 32%
Felt “The School of Thought” accurately represents our school Felt the unified School colors should be…
BLACK/RED 42% NO OPINION 15%
AGREE 60% DISAGREE 25%
Felt the “!” accurately represents the school as a logo mark These results were incorporated in the final version of our logo seen below.
convenience of being downtown also affords our students many opportunities to hear speakers who come downtown, attend special events, and visit the many cultural and civic attractions that are literally in the campus’s backyard. In addition, being able to “graduate” from one campus to the next makes that move from 8th grade to high school more significant and it reduces the potential downside of being at one small school for all of one’s schooling. In sum, we are the only School in town that can say that we have two campuses specifically designed for the students they serve, which allows us to offer our students a diversity of educational experiences like no other school can.
A decision as to the future location of the Preschool has not yet been made, as the Preschool Ad-Hoc Committee continues to explore all options. The most important factor in determining where our Preschool will be located is that it be in the place that best serves its students, like the other two campuses. The options are: stay at St. Francis Church, move to Goshen, or move to another location. The Preschool will be at the Church at a minimum through the end of the next school year, 2013-14. We plan to have a decision on the Preschool location by this summer. Continues on page 4
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Highly or somewhat satisfied with SFS
As or more satisfied than last year with SFS MORE OR EQUALLY SATISFIED 91%
SATISFIED 93%
By Síofra Rucker G’84, Director of Advancement
I want to share some good news and future plans from the Advancement Office. (The Advancement Office is a new term for the St. Francis School community: our job is overseeing the outward image of the School through advertising, marketing and branding, and communication with various constituents, and being responsible for the income of the school via tuition and fundraising.)
LESS SATISFIED 9%
UNSATISFIED 2% NEUTRAL 5%
In the area of Marketing, those of you in Louisville will start to see some new ads, postcards, etc. with our new colors, and featuring wonderful photos of our own students. The School of Thought wouldn’t think of using stock photos! You will also see and hear a phrase, “I think, therefore I am St. Francis.” featured in all our marketing and advertising. We truly can own that phrase – it is who we are and we can state it confidently, and with a little bit of swagger.
NO CHANGE 60%
As you likely noticed, the name of this publication is the Wyvern Report… which is your hint that our mascot going forward is the Wyverns! The Wyvern was the clear winner over the Eagles in our constituent survey earlier this year. There were, however, a significant minority who had concerns about the suitability of a fierce, fire-breathing dragon as a mascot for Preschoolers and Lower School students. Taking that concern into consideration, we worked with an illustrator to create both a fresh take on the Wyvern in the form of an Athletic Logo for our teams, as well as a kinder, gentler, baby Wyvern that will be the mascot for our Preschoolers and primary grades. Here are the mascot drawings (at left) you will be seeing on campus, on sweatshirts, and on baby bibs too.
CHANGE 25%
Should SFS change its name?
One of the major tasks facing the Board following the merger was to create a new Mission Statement for our new School, as well as a Vision Statement. Our goal was to work based on our existing two Mission statements, and update them to describe the new SFS that serves students from age two through seniors in high school. The Board created an ad hoc committee made up of Trustees, faculty and staff from all three campuses, students, and alumni who created the statement. It was then presented to the Marketing Committee of the Board, the Executive Committee of the Board (and all Trustees were invited to attend that meeting), faculty on all three campuses, the School Committee at the High School, and the Middle School students at Goshen, and the Parent Associations. After gaining input and agreement from all constituents, the final statement was presented to the Board on 1-23-13 and approved.
Wyvern Report
Look for an old friend
NO OPINION 15%
In the area of Admissions, I am very happy to announce that we have an additional 24 students across all three campuses so that we now have a total of 470 students! I have been asked if it is our intention for St. Francis to grow to be a mega-school, or if we have an “open door” admissions policy. The answer to both questions is a definitive no. Being a small, intimate school is critical to our mission. However, careful, considered, and strategic growth is essential to a vibrant, healthy school. We are smaller than we have been in the past on all campuses, and therefore we have room to grow a bit.
The new Mission for SFS is: St. Francis School cultivates a joyful, compassionate, intellectual community that celebrates individuality and inspires independent thinking for life. In addition to a new Mission Statement, the Board also approved a new Vision Statement. A Vision is meant to be our long-range goal and plan for the future.
The Vision Statement is: St. Francis School is the regional center of progressive learning where students grow into mindful, informed young people.
If you have any questions or input, please do not hesitate to contact me via email at srucker@stfrancisschool.org.
This has been an incredible year for St. Francis and I look forward to a bright future for the whole school!
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Anne Peabody ‘85 Briefly describe your career after leaving St. Francis. After leaving St. Francis, I attended Washington University in St. Louis, where I received a BFA in printmaking. I painted murals in Kentucky for about 10 years before moving to New York to pursue an MFA and a career as a “Fine Artist.” Looking back at your time at St. Francis, what stands out? I think what stands out the most is the small class size, and the camaraderie that formed between students and teachers. Do you recall a specific teacher or friend that influenced you in some way? Because of the small class size, I was GREATLY influenced by both teachers and students. Ann Stewart Anderson and Madison “Skip” Cawein taught me that I could think of art in terms of a career, Susan Reigler taught me to love science and to understand that as a woman, I could do anything a man could do (Rosalind Franklin and DNA is still on my bookshelf at home). Bob Foshee introduced me to the Beat Poets, and his mandatory class on “Things we should know once we graduate” (I don’t remember its real name) was probably the most important class I’ve taken in my life, ever.
Spotlight Anthony Perry, Goshen Class of ‘09 and Downtown ‘13
As for students; Jonathan Blue and Chris Iovenko helped me realize the power of hard work, organization, and following my dreams. I still look up to them.
Anne Peabody ‘85, alumna of the High School and Goshen, lives and works in New York as an artist. Her work is installed currently in two of the 21c Museum Hotels (Louisville, KY and Bentonville, AR) and has been included in the Venice Biennale for two years. She reflects on her time at St. Francis and her influences, from favorite teachers to close friends and classmates Jonathan Blue and Chris Iovenko.
Wyvern Report
How was your experience at St. Francis a factor in determining your career path? I learned that I wanted to be an artist as a student at St. Francis and was encouraged to pursue that. I keep in touch with Ann Stewart and Madison to this day. What are the highlights of your career thus far? I have been included in some really amazing art shows throughout the United States and Europe, but I would say that having work in the Venice Biennale twice in a row has been the biggest highlight. What are you currently working on? I have just finished three long term projects; for an architect named Peter Marino and for 21c Museum Hotels in Bentonville, AR and Cincinnati, OH. Hopefully, I will have a few months to work on some projects for myself. Do you have any particular wished-for projects down the road? Always. My current wish list includes the Whitney Biennial and a show at the Sculpture Center in NYC.
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Anthony has not only been named the Youth Achiever of the Year by the YMCA Black Achievers at their recent Awards Celebration, but has also been officially nominated to be a Root Young Futurist 2013. If that wasn’t enough, Anthony has been selected as a recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship. In the words of English teacher Brett Paice, “this is the white whale of scholarships, one that could fund him all the way through his inevitable graduate education.”
In addition, Anthony has worked diligently for the past few years raising awareness about mass incarceration rates of African-Americans, which culminated in a conference on March 24, 2013 at the Muhammad Ali Center. He has spoken on this issue to elementary schools and was even a speaker at the Mayor’s Rotunda in October 2012. His goals after college are law school and to further his work in civil rights in this country. Anthony is an exemplary student and role model at St. Francis and we will no doubt hear of his many accomplishments for a long time.
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By Tom Miron
in NYC
On this page – Top left: From the left, Joe Walker ‘00, Caitlin Tegart Bitzegaio ‘01, Eric Bitzegaio ‘01. Top right: Sarah Tyler ‘07, Tom Miron, Drew Sellers ‘00. Middle left: Devin Emke ‘88, Brice Rosenbloom ‘93, Tom Miron. Middle right: Tom Henrion ‘89, Kim Levin ‘91, Kareem Bunton ‘90. Bottom left: Collin Smith ‘00, Sasha Chack ‘02. Bottom right: Marian Silliman ‘96, Síofra Rucker, Lauren Bailey ‘02.
This column would perhaps best be printed in The Voice-Tribune, but with apologies to Lucie Blodgett and Carla Sue Broecker, here is my take on the St. Francis alumni social scene.
Wyvern Report
On this page – Top photo: From the left, Anna Byers ‘07, Sarah Tyler ‘07, Mark Dorf ‘07, Jack Byers ‘04. Above left: Dave Kupersmith ‘90, Kim Levin ‘91. Above right: Isaac Hodes ‘08, Kristina Gross, Corey Pickering ‘96, Charley Miller ‘96.
For those of you who missed this year’s Crawfish Boil on May 19th I can personally attest that this is a great event, with authentic Cajun fare masterfully prepared by alumni parents Ben and Lisa Holt. I will go on record as saying that soon this will be the social event of the season, putting that little horse race Churchill Downs conducts in the shade. I must also file a report on my first year of attendance at the Wyverns in New York City holiday soiree. My weekend in the city was a blast, and the event itself was top-shelf. The get-together was remarkably well-attended, although I am not going to attempt to list all that were there, as invariably the one forgotten turns out to be the one most offended by such an omission. Kudos and thanks go to the rapidly aging hosts, especially Kareem Bunton for providing the excellent space at his establishment. The after-party dinner was also very much appreciated, as was the after-party, after-dinner, mandatory excursion to the Village dive bar, where a good time was had by all still
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standing. And I would be remiss not to give a thank-you to Akhtar Nawab, who used his considerable influence to enable us to have a tremendous dining experience at the Minetta Tavern the night before the alumni gathering. Thanks also to those who treated me to a dim sum luncheon the day of the event. Best fried chicken claws that I have ever had. It sure was great to see everybody, and perhaps I will be able to return in the not too distant future. Before concluding, I would also like to mention smaller events held right here in the City of the Seventies. Inspired by the New York gathering, we had a follow-up holiday bash at the Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot. Approximately a dozen or so alums attended, and enjoyed getting caught up and noshing on excellent barbecue. Speaking of excellent noshing,
I want to thank Ron Mikulak and Ann Stewart Anderson for having me over recently for a delicious dinner, featuring meat from an animal that Mikulak himself had “butchered but not slaughtered” (sorry in advance to the non-carnivores and any others that I have now offended). Also at the dinner was Malissa Taylor ‘93 and her husband. Malissa has recently located back to the Ville and is now an Associate Professor of History at the University of Louisville. Her expertise is on the Middle East in general and Syria in particular, so it was great to get her perspective on current events in the region. Hopefully she will be able to share some of her insights with classes at St. Francis in the near future. Until the next time.
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Meg Tyler ‘84 was the Fulbright Visiting Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Innsbruck in Austria in 2012. In the essay she wrote for the Fulbright Committee, she discussed her time at St. Francis . “… walking through downtown Louisville, my blue hair troubled by the wind, to take a German class with Sister Mary Roch at a local college. Something about the intellectual freedom I experienced at St. Francis has continued to guide me in my better moments (of which there could be more).” Catherine Wing ‘90 published her first book of poems, Enter Invisible, in 2005 and was nominated for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Her poems have appeared in such journals as Poetry, The Nation, and The New Republic, and have been featured on “The Writer’s Almanac” and included in Best American Erotic Poems and Best American Poetry 2010. Her second collection, Gin & Bleach, was the 2010 selection of the Linda Bruckheimer Series in Kentucky Literature. She lives in Ohio, where she teaches poetry at Kent State University and serves on the board of the Wick Poetry Center.
Catherine McCord G ‘87 (above) is a former model, was a correspondent on Extra, and hosted her own TV show, among many other accom-plishments before attending New York’s Culinary School of Education where she began pairing her love of fresh farm ingredients with her love for cooking. Now a mother of two, she has taken her online blog weelicious.com and published her cookbook of the same name which includes simple healthy recipes for families from infant nutrition to toddler fare to family dinners.
Wyvern Report
Pictured above is Gus Wathen ‘97 posing as St. Francis. Gus is currently working for Ecological Research as a Fish Biologist, specifically monitoring endangered steelhead trout and chinook salmon populations and their habitat in the John Day River basin, Oregon. Gus has a B.S. degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston, and an M.S. degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Maine. Amy Zegart G ‘81 is an alumna of Harvard University, a Fulbright scholar, has written four books (and a fifth on the way) including the well-received Spying Blind for Princeton University Press, served on the National Security Council staff for the Clinton administration, has tenured positions at the UCLA School of Public Administration and at the Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and is now a blogger for the web site ForeignPolicy.com. Amy attributes her success to her nurturing environment at home and her teachers: “I had great teachers at St. Francis School who stimulated and inspired me, who made an independent project for a schoolgirl who wanted to study about China.” Peyton Ray ‘83 is the owner of Louisville establishment, Meat, which was recognized by Drinks International as one of The World’s 50 Best Bars. Ranked at 39, Meat is only one of twelve bars in the United States to be on this list and Peyton stated, “We were knocked off our feet; it was so unexpected.”
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Chelsea Carlson G ‘05 is set to graduate from Harvard summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa this spring. In addition in her final year she was appointed co-editor of the Crimson, and is co-principal harpist of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. Brad Green ‘06 is an electronics engineer working in Electronic Warfare at Robins Air Force Base. Mark Dorf’s ‘07 body of work, ‘Axiom & Simulation’ is featured in the March/April edition of Orion Magazine. Wyatt McMurray ‘10 has won the Bennington Poetry Prize in plain china: Best Undergraduate Writing 2012. His work was described by Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry judge Tracy K. Smith as “a brief narrative recounting a young boy’s thrill at having his nails painted the ecstatic red of ‘sangria sunrise.’ In his joy, the speaker ‘Came back to school next day swaggering / like a thick-thighed cowboy,’ a state that lasts only a few days before his father intercedes. I love the exuberance of description here, the verbs that allow the story to spring into action, and the small gestures that draw me into the speaker’s bliss.” Chris Cappiello ’11 has published an article in the April 2013 issue of Mathematics Teacher. Chris is a physics major at Yale University where he pursues his interest in applying geometry and graphical techniques to problem solving. Chris submitted his article, “A Closer Look at Function Transformations,” as part of his Senior Project at St. Francis. Needless to say, he received Honors on the Senior Project!
In Memory of David Schneider ‘99 David Schneider graduated from St. Francis High School in 1999 followed with a B.A. from Washington University. He recently moved home to Louisville after spending five years in Portland, OR working in social services. David had completed a year towards his MSW degree. Friends and bandmates have created a soundcloud group to share his music. He is remembered at St. Francis as a bright and caring student. RIP David (1981-2013) https://soundcloud.com/groups/ friendsofdavidschneidergroup Amy Bordogna Price G ‘86 Amy attended St. Francis School, Goshen and was a 1990 graduate of Brooks School in North Andover, MA. She attended Smith College and it was during her freshman year that she was first confined to a wheelchair. She passed away in her home in January of this year, from complications of her illness, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a progressive degenerative condition. Her health may have limited her ability to navigate the world as others might, but she had the unique ability to bring the world to her bedside. Her interests were great: photography, drawing, metal work, cuisines of the world, knitting, textiles, spirituality and natural medicinal arts, and always music. RIP Amy (1971 -2013)
Upcoming Alumni Events Alumni Picnic & Games Saturday, August 10th, at the Goshen Campus 11:00 a.m. All Preschool, Goshen and High School classes welcome! Alumni Reunion Dinner High School classes 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003 email gtyler@stfrancisschool.org if you are interested in helping organize your class.
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By Emily Essex, Director of Development
Recap Annual Fund 2012-13
This year, as a merged school, we underwent the task of holding not one, but two large fundraisers for the school. The goal was to keep the warm feelings of the “Our Good Earth” Gala and the artistic splash of the Imagine! Art Auction and Scholarship Fundraiser. We are pleased to report that both events not only maintained the feel we hoped for but were financially successful as well.
Wyvern Report
On this page – Top left: Scott Gregor. Bottom Left: Steve Wilson , Laura Lee Brown. Bottom right: Imagine! Art Auction. Opposite page – Top left: Scott Gregor, Jamie Stilger, Jane Tierney and Andrew Miller. Top right: Denise Ragland. Middle left: Our Good Earth Gala. Middle right: Alexandra S. Thurstone G’80, ‘84, Mathias Kolehmainen.
Imagine Art Auction and Scholarship Fundraiser – February 1, 2013 (nearly $70,000 will go directly towards Scholarship Funding)
Our Good Earth Gala – October 13, 2012 (over $60,000 will go directly towards funding for Athletics and Extracurricular Programming)
The event was held at the Goshen Campus on a beautiful fall evening. The farm-to-table concept was executed perfectly by Wiltshire Pantry and our four main contributing farms: Ashbourne, Foxhollow, Capriole, and Woodland. Congratulations to the Event Chair, Denise Ragland, and Co-Chairs, Scott Gregor and Andi Hibbard, as well as the whole “Our Good Earth” Gala committee for an absolutely fabulous event. Thanks also go to our Honorary Chairs, Dace and King Stubbs and Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson.
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The event was held at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, on a snow day of all things! The icy event quickly warmed up with the beautiful artwork and jewelry up for auction. A quick walk through the indoor snow led guests to dinner and the live auction in the beautiful Brown-Forman Hall, and the night ended with a wonderful selection of desserts and goodies. Congratulations to the Event Chair, Scott Gregor, and Co-Chair, Mary Cantrell, as well as the many parent, staff and student volunteers, on an extraordinary evening.
Many of you already know how important the Annual Fund is to the school. As a reminder, the Annual Fund is a yearly fundraising effort (July 1- June 30) that provides immediate unrestricted support to the operating budget and helps bridge the gap between tuition revenue and the actual cost of educating our students. Without the generous support of all of our community, including you, the hallmarks of a St. Francis education wouldn’t be possible: small class sizes, low student-teacher ratios, exemplary scholarship and financial aid programs, comprehensive learning resources, a diverse student body, and a truly exemplary faculty. We are thrilled to announce that we already have 100% faculty, staff, and trustee participation to the campaign this year AND 99% of our current parents have also made their commitment to the campaign. Now it is your turn! Please return the envelope enclosed or go online to www. stfrancisschool.org and click the Annual Fund button. Thank you for your continued support!
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in the Life In celebration of our first Wyvern Report as a merged school, we decided to combine forces across the three campuses and write an article about a day in the life of a St. Francis student, as though s/he began the morning as a preschooler and finished by graduating from the High School. The synergies that exist among our campuses, despite the age differences of the students we serve, have been stunning to behold in these post-merger months, and we hope this snapshot of “A Day in the Life” helps convey some of that.
By Reed Gabhart, Head of Goshen Campus, Renee Hennessy, Preschool Director, Jennifer Griffith, Lower School Dean, Suzanne Gorman, Head of Downtown Campus.
Francis Saint has just enrolled at the Preschool in the Twos class. His morning is spent finger-painting and singing his favorite nursery rhymes. His parents want him to experience these activities in a nurturing environment that is dedicated to early childhood education. During creative movement class, he makes his way through the obstacle course all by himself. Francis’ gross motor skills are developing, and he is learning to maneuver his body around in different spaces. As he eats snack with his friends in the Threes class, he enjoys fresh fruit and milk, a snack that supports good food choices and is essential to the growth of his whole body. Francis heads outside, where he happily swoops under and climbs over the bridge on the playground and digs in the sand pit with the Fours and JK classes. He loves the playground and the new additions of elements from nature. Francis climbs the berm every day, and loves to play hide and seek in the tall grasses. His parents understand that experiences in nature will support development of his observation skills and creativity. Play is the foundation for most of Francis’ experiences at the Preschool; all the skills he needs to continue on his journey through school are embedded in play. By mid-morning, Francis is ready to travel to the Goshen Campus. He arrives just in time to join a Lower School Language Arts/Social Studies class that is working on writing friendly letters. He eagerly begins to compose his letter to one of the organizations that attended the Fall Philanthropy Forum. This event provided an opportunity for students to gather information about the local service organizations that attended, such as The Nature Conservancy and Home of the Innocents. When he finishes, he checks the daily schedule to see if it’s time yet for Music, which is one of his favorite classes because he can choose which of the Orff instruments he wants to play. Francis also enjoys the movements he has learned and is looking forward to performing at the Lower School Talent Show this spring. Francis then skips outside to burn off some of his energy at one of his two daily recesses. He sees his friends who are playing on the swings and waves to them before joining a group playing soccer on the field. After recess, Francis goes to Math class where he uses manipulatives to complete the tasks that his math teacher has assigned. He loves that he gets to work with his classmates and share strategies while they solve problems together.
Wyvern Report
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When Math is over, Francis heads to lunch, where he chooses from several healthy entrees in the “hot line,” and then examines the other daily offerings – soup, salad bar, deli bar, and more. He quickly finishes his dessert, fresh fruit, when the teachers announce that it is time to clean up. Francis loves the feeling of independence pervading the school as he walks himself to his next class. Having refueled, Frankie is ready for his afternoon classes in Middle School. In Language Arts he is shocked to learn about the devastation that occurred to the Japanese people at the end of WWII. He feels conflicted about the horrors of war, but folding paper cranes as a sign of hope makes him feel calm. In Science, he helps his group construct a geologic timeline stretching all the way down the hall. In Math, he takes the challenging Math Olympiad test. At first, he has no idea how to solve some of the problems he reads, but after a deep breath and several strategies, he figures some out! All that problem-solving work has paid off! Chinese class is next, and he loves to pronounce the new mysterious words he is learning, as well as write the Mandarin characters. In Art, he is fascinated to learn about the Fauvist movement and paint his very own picture with bold, striking colors, just like one of the “Wild Beasts” centuries ago. Since it is Friday, he anticipates the day ending with Elective Projects, where he will rehearse a scene from the school’s upcoming production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town; the language is a little funny to Frankie, but he notices that people worried about things then just like we do now. What an afternoon, and basketball practice is still to come after school! Frank’s last class is a free period at the High School. He loves the built-in free time during the day, because he knows that learning to manage his time on a small scale now will reap great benefits when he gets to college. He wants to head down to the Commons Room to chat with friends, play some music, and debate the latest political issue, but first he sits quietly for a moment at his locker, thinking back about the day and what he needs to pack up to take home. Frank
puts his copy of Toni Morrison’s Beloved in his backpack first, knowing he needs to read tonight to be ready to discuss tomorrow. He has a lab report due for his AP Environmental Science class, some Precalculus and Spanish homework, and an essay test in a few days in Culture and Civilization. Frank allows himself to contemplate for a moment the course choices he will have to make for next year – Photography or Filmmaking, Gender Studies or Roots of Terrorism? Should he continue taking Spanish or start French or Chinese? He is roused from his reverie by a classmate asking for help on a tough Precalculus problem. Frank isn’t sure how to do it, either, so they visit their math teacher, who is also free that period. As they finish the impromptu tutoring session, the school day ends, and students come pouring out of classrooms. He is reminded that it’s his turn to bring breakfast for Advisee Group tomorrow, and figures he’ll stop at the bagel shop a block away and pick up food before coming to school in the morning. The new mission statement just approved for St. Francis School says that we “cultivate a joyful, compassionate, intellectual community that celebrates individuality and inspires independent thinking for life.” The joy of young students skipping into their classrooms and teenagers clustering around a lunch table; the compassion of children of all ages lending one another an ear or a hug; the intellectual vibe that extends from the math lessons disguised as a cooking project for the littlest St. Francis students all the way up to AP science experiments - all of this pervades St. Francis’ three campuses on a daily basis. We celebrate who and what our students are, never pushing them into a mold of our choosing, but instead recognizing their essential qualities and shaping those in partnership with parents. As to the independent thinking, few associated with St. Francis can fail to see that in the air! From the announcements in Morning Meetings to rapport and conversation between students and teachers to lobbying legislators in Frankfort, St. Francis students are encouraged to think about issues and then to speak their minds. Appropriately, the new vision statement talks about our students growing into “mindful, informed young adults.” The increasingly globalized world we live in will demand not only that our children are well-educated in the traditional sense - that they know literature, science, math, languages, history, culture but also that they are curious about the world around them, prepared to think, able to articulate a point of view. All this will be vital to these children taking their places in a world that we, today in 2013, can only imagine. St. Francis alumni have been spreading throughout the world for nearly 50 years, living out the mission and the vision that we continue to imbue our school and its students with every day.
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We THINK, therefore we are St. Francis. 233 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
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IN THIS ISSUE Big Merger, Big Decisions A New Look for an Old Friend Wyverns in NYC Alumni Profile: Anne Peabody ‘85 A Day in the Life www.StFrancisSchool.org