Fall 2001 by The Thacher School

Parents’ Post A Newsletter for Parents and Friends of The Thacher School

Fall 2001

RE-CREATION

Dear Parents, Grandparents, and Friends: So soon do fresh faces and names become familiar that it’s difficult already to reEach new school year here is launched by the Head’s member that the new kids on the block reading to the School Oliver Wendell Holmes’s The ever were new. The 75 (a smut class Chambered Nautilus, his late 19th-century poem about perof 57 and 18 joining the Class of sonal development and spiritual evolution. On this year’s first ’03) come to the Ojai from alfalfa day of classes, just as Head of School Michael Mulligan was gatherranches, university towns, and windy cities, from places as close ing up the various shells in his office and home to take to the Pergola as a faculty home on campus to so that new students could see for themselves those iridescent pearly those as far away as Singapore, chambers symbolic of such growth, the news came: terrorists had comYungaburra, and Hong Kong, mandeered commercial aircraft and attacked the World Trade Center and and they bring special talents the Pentagon. When, an hour later, students, staff, and faculty were gathand energy to our community. We can sense already their saluered on the Pergola in the filtered morning sun, Mr. Mulligan held up a tary influence from the center nautilus and read the poem measuredly, paused, and then spoke briefly of campus out to all its corners about the events that had just transpired on the East Coast. More talk and beyond. Of the student body would follow later that day and in many days following–but for the as a whole, a quarter receive finanmoment, a 113-year-old tradition kept us centered, reminded us cial aid; 22% are self-described as students of color. Well over one third of why we are at Thacher and, perhaps, even, why we are on of the boarding population are from this earth, giving us some hope that while some things out of state, with Colorado and Illinois can be blown apart, others can cohere, can resist the contributing the highest number to the mix. forces of intentional dissolution, can repeat young Many in the School—129, in fact—are related and hold meaning one generation women to another enrolled student or to a graduate of graduates— Thacher, putting a different spin on the phrase “famafter another.

ily school.” Downright historic is this fact: matriculating this fall as a freshman was the first child born to two CdeP2 grads: Will Oxley, whose mother, Marganne, was among the first

and whose father, Dave, and grandfather, Bruce, also earned Thacher diplomas. Connected in this particular way or not, the individuals who now comprise the 113th Thacher School are well on their way “to do[ing] the best work that [they] can,” in the exhortation of founder Sherman Day Thacher. And, as Mr. Mulligan concluded in his New Year’s Banquet speech, “When each of us does his or her best, starting now, something magical starts to happen: we become transformed, changed outwardly by an alchemy inside of ourselves that then, through our actions, begins to transform the world we live in. What starts in this school travels, through each of you, potentially far, far afield. And it has already begun.” 1 smut: 9th grader, freshman; from campfire soot on faces when, on camping trips, the youngest students cleaned the pots 2 CdeP: followed by a year indicates a graduate of Casa de Piedra (“House of Stone”), the original name of the ranch and the School

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and their prefects and faculty camped), Santa Cruz Island (where our campers worked on a water restoration project—and, serendipitously, bore Granted, [as the week goes on,] witness to the the hiking gets easier and your recreation of canoe-crossing pack gets lighter. At the same of the channel by time, dirt gets embedded native Chumash, the first in a cenfurther into your skin, your tury), Kennedy fingernails fill with grime and Meadows and your now-filthy hair can stand Jordan Hot Springs, Horsecompletely on end. I always return with a terrific number of shoe Meadows, the Kern River, fond memories. Montaña del Oro (riding on the beach—yeehaw!), Sequoia Katie Kuhl ’03 National Park, the John Muir Trail, Evolution Valley, the Sespe River Wilderness, One of our most memorable Lake Sonoma, the feet have trod (and Dick Smith Wilderevenings involved watching the sunset some blazing new ness, and Point from an exposed campsite at 11,500 ft. trails). Routes and Reyes. Three trips and seeing the sun and mountains melt pulled off transdestinations this fall included Golden into the alpine lakes that comprised our Sierra hikes, each Trout Camp near Mt. covering around 70 horizon. Langley (the area miles during the five where all freshpeople Brian Pidduck CdeP ’92, days—no small feat Director of The Outdoor Program (even if some feet are small).

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE way to start and end the CChoice school year at Thacher: pack up and head off into the mountains, where the landscape itself offers particular solace and challenge and reminders of our rightful place in the world. (Below, see photo of hikers atop a very big rock for visual proof.) Exposed to the elements at the summit of a High Sierra peak, or tucked into a deep and shaded canyon of the Los Padres, our students regain perspective while testing their muscles and trekking on trails where other Toadly

MAGNETIC Drawn to the Ojai and Thacher primarily from distant points are a D lively and gifted crew. Megan and Jason Carney, from Boston, have joined the English Department and Admission Office, respectively, and are living with the upper class boys in Upper School. Megan earned her BA from Princeton University and her M.Ed. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education; Jason earned his undergraduate degree in History from Villanova University. Both are serving as advisors to boys; Jason will also pace the hardwood this winter as one of our basketball coaches. Also moving west to us from New England is Abby Davis, who has joined the Science Department. Her BA is

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from Bowdoin College where she majored in biology and minored in chemistry; she has also studied at Harvard and the University College in London—as well as attended a 4-week mountaineering course offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming’s Wind River Range. Melissa Johnson, a new assistant in the Admission Office, also left Boston behind in coming to Thacher: a Harvard grad, she was captain of the Varsity Women’s Basketball team; she’s also participated in Outward Bound’s Summer Leadership Semester. (Go ahead: guess what Melissa will be doing during

AP Environmental Science, earned her BA at UC San Diego and her MA from San Diego State and lives in the Ojai with her husband Kevin (an English teacher in Oxnard) and sons Will and Spencer. Sara Sackner, who attended Cornell University and graduated from Pratt Institute, counts as her most recent professional experience producing exhibits for the Getty and serving as the Director of Development at Ojai Valley School. Sara has taken up daytime residence in the Development Office, where she is Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs. Sara and husband Andy’s son Zach is a member of the freshman class; close on his heels are brothers Eli and Albert. All live in Ojai.

OUR DAY OF REMEMBRANCE…

Front row: Megan Carney, Theana Hancock, Abby Davis, Kurt Supplee, Margo Buddhu; back row: Jason Carney, Melissa Johnson, and Sara Sackner.

her extracurricular hours!) New to the Mathematics Department, though not to teaching, are Theana Hancock and Kurt Supplee, both of whom taught most recently in Colorado. A native of Hawaii, Theana earned both her BA and her MA from Colorado College; in addition to teaching, she is coaching cross-country and track and is advising junior boys in Lee Quong. An avid and expert kayaker and camper, Kurt—who graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Industrial Engineering—is coaching basketball and working in the Outdoor Program. From much closer by—down in the Valley, to be precise—two others have come: Margo Buddhu, who joins the Science Department as a seasoned teacher of chemistry and

My short list of things I find remarkable about Thacher includes what goes on in the classroom. I’ve been teaching on and off for thirty years, and my class here last year was the most rewarding classroom experience I have ever had. There is a simple explanation for this: the eagerness and openness to learn something new and unfamiliar that the students brought to the materials, and the excitement they discovered in it. I was impressed from the beginning by how intense and appreciative they were. And I was

…on September14 began the evening before, with a meeting of the seniors and several faculty at the Head’s Home during which the group discussed ways in which the Thacher community could appropriately and more fully process the multiple tragedies of earlier in the week. From that thoughtful and heartfelt planning session emerged a day for which we are all very grateful: it began with an All-School gathering, from which we moved to smaller groups (all classes represented in each) for open discussion. Mid-morning, the community met at the Outdoor Chapel for a service of prayer, reflection, song, and silent meditation, followed by the playing of taps and a raising and lowering to half-mast of the American flag. Thereafter, students and faculty were free to be on their own on the otherwise still and quiet campus. In the evening, the campus emptied as students, faculty, faculty families, and staff took buses, vans, and cars down to Ojai to join in the Valley’s candlelight vigil, held under the towering oaks of Libbey Park in the town’s center. By evening’s end, some critical and necessary healing had been done, and though it’s far from over, the day helped many to move forward in personally meaningful ways.

astonished by their ability to make connections between the exotic world of Japanese aesthetics we were studying and other more familiar things they knew. Making connections, after all, is at the very heart of real learning, and all of you whom I have had a chance to meet seem to excel at this— because you are open to new ideas and experiences, and you are committed to discovering how things connect. Dr. John Nathan in his New Year’s Banquet address

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SHORT TAKES Galvanized and accompanied by Laura Neville, G two vans full of Thacher Toads (driven by Julie and Bo Manson) headed to the beach at Emma Wood State Park to participate in the 17th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day. The Thacher group picked up 20 bags of trash and completed critical data collection, as well. Rolling up their sleeves were Emily Nathan, Mary Leighton, Jackie Fiske, Matt O’Meara, Montana Caset, Kay Bradford, Clare Holstein, Lauren Fiske, Cara Bonewitz, Laura Slattery, and Joy Bergeron. e Parent pairs Sara Sackner and Andy Behar (Zach ’05) and Jill and Barry Kitnick (Zak ’03, Alex CdeP ’00) generously hosted students at their homes for a celebration of Rosh Hashanah mid-September. Later in the month, the Sackner-Behars also opened their doors to students for Yom Kippur. e Senior Jamie Hastings is the latest inductee into the A-Horse Camper elite; he joins classmates Alex Herbert and Jaime Everett, and junior Phoebe Barkan as the rare birds who have passed muster on a score or more of requirements for the honor and responsibilities attendant thereto. Jamie’s pictured here accepting a handshake from Chuck Warren (Science, Horse Program), guardian of this particular Thacher flame. e Andrew Ma, a senior, spearheaded a fund drive to aid the New York Fireman’s Fund and the American Red Cross: at his persistent urging and strategic placement of boxes around campus, he and his schoolmates raised over $600 for these two important causes. e The Honorable Pete McCloskey, former U.S. Congressman from California, constitutional law expert, and Visiting Scholar at Thacher for several weeks last winter, dropped by again this week to speak to the community about September 11’s terrorist attacks. “You will be the decision-makers,” he said to the students. “With the privilege of your Thacher education, you must study history and world religions; study and think and discuss so that you will be ready when your time comes.” Mr. McCloskey, who, with his wife, Helen, stayed on for lunch-table discussion, is pictured above with senior faculty member Marvin Shagam (History, Latin), conferring just before his talk at Assembly. e A handful of seasoned riders stayed on campus through Extra Day Trips and, with Director of the Horse Program Cam Schryver and Susan Hardenbergh (Horse Program), worked with Thacher’s remuda to get some of the equine kinks out before the new riders returned from the High Sierra. “Much to the amusement of the freshmen and faculty, they also produced a training video,” according to Ms. Hardenbergh, “featuring Thacher’s savviest steeds and riders.” Participating were Rebeccah Gore-Judd (pictured here, shaded by a great hat), Melanie Morris, Jacey Roche, Michael

Hanna Uscinski steers her horse Sonora around the Sand Arena as part of a warm-up exercise.

Lear th Ro Willy Wilder and Boise hang out by the corrals before tacking up.

Toby Nathan preps for ground-work with Cookie.

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Dachs, Becky Swan, MacKenna Chase, Tamima Al-Awar, Ward Sorrick, Amanda Grumman, Ronald Wu, Claire Milligan, Catherine Whittinghill, Patty AbouSamra, Ben Heilveil (here, simultaneously demonstrating rope tricks and walking), Robert Cerda, Grace Bueti, Luke Myers, Katherine Bechtel, Eita Hatayama, and Taylor Medina. Said Taylor of the experience, “I learned the new horses’ personalities and abilities and felt we did a great job helping to prepare them for the year.”

Picking hooves as part of pre-riding grooming: Armando Leon takes it in stride, as does Dowdy, his steed.

GROWTH…

rning he pes Jaime Luna perches on Mighty Mouse’s pipe corral before haltering up.

…among the faculty this summer will no doubt find its ultimate … beneficiary among many of your children as their learning is enLeading Sergeant Mike— perhaps to water?—is Annie Strachan, who just might make him drink.

hanced by what their teachers learned during their vacations—but ask the faculty below, and they’ll claim it was all just plain fun (and informative and compelling and rejuvenating) to be on the other side of the desk for a spell. Down to LA’s Otis School of Art and Design went Elizabeth Mahoney (Arts) for much of the summer, where she worked with two professional photographers, honing her technical skills with many different camera types and in the darkroom. Buck Wales (Mathematics Department Chair) soaked up philosophy (Plato’s dialogues Ion and Gorgias) and poetry (Wallace Stevens) at two week-long seminars held at St. John’s College in Santa Fe; he also participated in one of the Ojai’s weekend Great Books Seminars, focusing on Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Gallia Vickery (Mathematics, Dance) also Married at the Outdoor Chapel this past June were Linda Kim and our own Pierre Yoo headed to New Mexico— (Chemistry), pictured here at sunset in tradi- specifically, the Jillana School tional Korean wedding garb. in Taos—where, from one of the elite dancers permitted by the Balanchine Trust to teach his choreography, she learned Balanchine ballet technique and variations from three important ballet works; she also studied anatomy and physiology for the dance, as well as Pilates technique and modern dance with Gail Gilbert. A wood craftsman for years but only recently in the classroom, Bo Manson (English, Wood Design) enrolled at The Woodworker’s Academy in Alameda, CA, a gathering aimed expressly at tool use and maintenance and safety in educational woodshops such as Thacher’s. On the heels of that, Bo enrolled in three consecutive programs with a master cabinet-maker, the end result of which is standing in Bo and Julie’s dining room: a 7-foot long replica, in cherry, of a 17th-century French country table. (Wait ‘til you see what your kids will make under Bo’s guidance!) Elissa Thorn (Physics) caught up with her research colleagues at Langmuir Lab and New Mexico Tech in Soccorro, NM,

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whose work focuses on thunderstorm electrification and lightning and laid some groundwork for further investigation next summer. An application closer to home: Elissa convinced the Langmuir powers-that-be to allow her (and her Thacher students) access to a cutting-edge system that will display storm data in real-time on the web. The highly persuasive Elissa also reports, “I got a commitment for the loan of some high-tech equipment for classroom demo use at some point in the near future.” Abby Davis (Biology), Margo Buddhu (Environmental Science), Alice Meyer (Psychology), and Elizabeth Mahoney (Arts) all took Advanced Placement seminars in their subject areas Though the conference focused in various parts of the country. Dean primarily on ethnic and cultural of Students Chris Mazdiversity in independent schools, zola buckled down for we also talked about sexism, over a week of 10-hour days at a cultural diverhomophobia and classism in our sity conference held on communities—all topics we here at the campus of Milton Thacher discuss at various points in Academy (MA). our HR&S [Human Relationships In the Pacific Northwest (Hood, OR), Rich Maz& Sexuality] seminars. zola (Director of AthletChris Mazzola, Dean of Students ics) and Fred Coleman (Mathematics) completed a 10-day Wilderness First Responder course designed specifically for outdoor professionals; it offered intensive training for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of wilderness emergencies. Dr. Mel Levine’s “All Kinds of Minds” workshop at UNC found our Study Skills maven Alison Curwen in the audience; there she studied the eight constructs of the human brain that contribute to learning, as well as how to identify the strengths and weaknesses within an individual learner and how to establish appropriate accommodations for students whose differences affect their classroom performance. Meanwhile, two different seminars formed vacation bookends for Austin Curwen (History): the Humanities Conference at Exeter, whose focus was exploring different ways to implement discussion-based learning into the classroom; and the Association of Boarding Schools’ Residential Life conferences, which was, in Austin’s words, “a good chance to look at multiple aspects of boarding school life.” Susan Hardenbergh (Horse Program) and Katherine Halsey (French) attended a two-week professional-level horse clinic at the International Study Center—the Parelli Ranch—in Pagosa Springs, CO, with the goal of attaining a Level 2 (“Harmony”) ranking (Level 1 is called “Partnership,” and Level 3, “Refinement). Attending the same ranch clinic for one week were other Horse Department faculty Emily Etchells Flanked by Senior Class President David Gal, School (Spanish), Lori SchryChair Robert Brownell, and Head Prefect Charlotte ver, and Mike Swan, Lord, is Sra. Cecilia Ortiz, back from her sabbatical year as well as Mike’s spent in Sanlucar, Spain, with her husband, author David Howard, and daughters Hannah and Eva. Wel- daughter Becky, a Thacher sophomore. come home!

GIVING Nearly all Thacher students have, by the time they graduate, been inN volved to one degree or another in the School’s Community Service program. Many also use summertime to give to others, and this past break was no exception. Laurel Peterson put her years of Spanish language study to good and lasting use when she tutored elementary-aged children at a local summer school in her hometown of Walla Walla, WA. Many were starting I felt rewarded by the fact that from scratch with the English language; oth- perhaps I had made some difference ers were polishing in the lives of these students—maybe idiom and diction; all even contributed to some future no doubt learned much under Laurel’s tutelage. success. Also, volunteering with these In her visits to a retire- children gave me a much fuller ment home, Jackie appreciation for my education: Fiske gave manicures to women who delighted I realized how truly lucky I am to in the attention and be in a place like Thacher. care. “When I first Laurel Peterson, on tutoring this summer started, some of the residents couldn’t remember my name; it made me feel that I had actually made a difference when, later in the summer, they could,” Jackie said. Half-way ‘round the world, Jackie’s classmate Charmiane Liu volunteered her time at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Hong King, where she worked in the Hematology Intensive Care Unit with staff and patients, watching the intersection of medical technology and plain old love and care. Also in Asia was Vivian Wu, who traveled with her mother, Lily, and students from a local school in Hong Kong to mainland China to help in poor villages, hiking up into the hills to deliver money, food, and other supplies.

INSPIRATION AND RARIFIED AIR their cue from a performance featuring John Muir (played by TTaking historian and actor Lee Stetson) last spring in our own Outdoor Theatre, junior classmates Nathan Parker and Brian Keane plotted a summer ascent of Mt. Shasta in northern California, at 14,162 feet, the third highest mountain in the continental U.S. With Nathan’s dad, Jim, the boys used ice axes, ropes, and crampons—as well as some skills learned at Thacher—to summit the peak (pictured here), though according to Nathan, “the real fun started when we got down a ways and were able to slide down the mountain on chutes made by earlier climbers descending. In three minutes, we slid 3000 feet.” Some sledding, that!

CH A

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SCHOOL THE THACHER ATION PARENTS’ ASSOCI

October 2001

ess: a First order of busin e new school year! ert th ob to (R e r m he lco et we Gr d Betsy and John ts’ Association an s, nt ren ide Pa e t res th las -P e m Co ak fro Greetings ts’ Association your time to m r who volunteered to last year’s Paren be u u yo em yo k of rem an all ar, Th to ye ial d ic ec an sp d Russell ’03) 2001-02 academ an e , th r ’01 of he eP ot ick Cd th th e d wi th Te CdeP ’99, we head into me acquainted erful way to beco work so fruitful. As nd ee wo itt a m is m s co itie s tiv ar’ ye tion ac in Parents’ Associa ys. that participation ol in a variety of wa ho Sc e th g rents’ Association tin or pp su ile wh ts s of the various Pa ren air pa ch ing low ces; Barb fol e k in advance th hite, Library Servi nounce and than ght; Elizabeth W an Ni ina, and to ed ad ed M Gr as s, rb ple ng Ba , sti am I ec and Liz Ha Sandy O’Meara ov e, en an St Ke n sa culty and len Su Fa He s: ll, committee Whittinghi eekend BBQ; arents’Day; Judith e Torres, Family W dp rri ilyn an Te ar d Gr M r, d an a an he , in et ck ed Gr M chtel, Kathy Ba ar Sales; Betsy Be Ge r sie he Su ac d Th an s, rs; rre Terrie To f, Exam Procto ; Nina Toumanof Staff Appreciation on! cti Au nd therings for ke ana Wee -the-butterflies ga Wallace, Gymkh of-summer, quell dw families en ne d ed ste m ho o lco her families wh h (Sarah ’03) we ac Th aik e Sh th ed to y home m go ele o am rk Thanks als ha and Moh ened their Be and Dana ’05) op their parents. Ayes d ’02 an id s nt av de (D l stu Ga w v ne dYoa ara area; Robin an in the Santa Barb e s. ilie tionably one of th fam us. This is unques for new Bay Area on e up m is co — be 28 to , to ds ’s new frien —October 26 meet your children d Family Weekend parr to an e he air ac tim e Th th ul r in erf he is ot nd ll th Fa d a wo endships wi ents of the year an ake and renew fri , at 5 p.m. A most enjoyable ev and staff, and to m Friday, October 26 y on ult ue fac r ec he rb ac ba Th ol ho who has a -sc all ne yo an An th s. wi acquainted with d their familie ll be kicked off an s wi nt nd de ke stu e Torres ee W all ily Te for ents. Fam call co-chairs rri e barbecue is begun in 1995, th to help out! Please d ite inv is — e. rn sid Thacher tradition to lea nd grillg—or would like if you can lend a ha talent for barbecuin a at (805) 659-5284 in ed M rb Ba or at (805) 659-4220 luded a form listter from me that inc let a n tte activities. go w no cipate in Thacher I hope you’ve by for parents to parti e some ies us nit ll sti rtu n po ca op I t us bu ing vario ing response, en art he in any d st an g ere on int if you have an I’ve received a str r optee Please let me know lun rs. vo tee ng lun sti vo ere al addition ur form. One int yo g ennin en ur oft ret ity by , acher commun job, big or small the the School. The Th m at fro g rs kin ke ea ea sp sp is g y portunit of stimulatin t and interaction ur thoughts or joys the enrichmen lination to share yo inc an ve ha u yo If . riate topic, let ity op un pr m ap m y co parent y on almost an ult fac d an s nt de expertise with stu me know. rents’ ent, the Thacher Pa pport and involvem e educasu th to ed inu ion nt ut co rib ur nt With yo rful and lasting co we w you po a ho e t ak ou m ab n ve questions Association ca ched at r children. If you ha rea ou be of e n ca nc I rie ts, pe en ex tional School ev om. or about upcoming ce@hotmail.c marilynwalla might participate at ail em by cd so an at 8880 nd and home at (805) 646u at Family Weeke ward to seeing yo njamin zabeth CdeP ’96, Be Bruce and I look for Bruce, Marilyn, Eli l! fal ’04 is ssa th Ali es d m , an cer ga CdeP ’99, Nathan ’02 s, ard reg rm With wa

Dear Parents,

Marilyn Wallace

) 646-4377 • FAX

• (805 IA 93023-9001 JAI, CALIFORN O • D OA R 5025 THACHER

(805) 640-1033

lengthen in the still-sunlit few minSShadows utes before Formal Dinner. On the Pergola benches, students gather to catch their breath, chat a bit and appreciate that unrivaled view to the Valley before, propelled by the dinner bell, they head in to the evening family meal. Cheers to all of you,

P.S. Get here if you possibly can on November 9 and 10 for The Thacher Masquers’ production of Dancing at Lughnasa, Brian Friel’s Tony Award-winning play about four Irish sisters and the men in their lives. The Masquers’ version will be a winner, too!

Production Credits

CH E A R H Editor Joy Sawyer-Mulligan

Production and Design Tim Ditch

T HE

C Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.

HOO L

The Thacher School Parents’ Post

Design J. Bert Mahoney

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5025 Thacher Road Ojai, CA 93023-9001 Address Service Requested

Photography Annie Strachan ’05, Elvis Anthony, Betsy Bradford ’02, Bert Mahoney, Jim Parker (Nathan ’03, Colin ’05), Joy Sawyer-Mulligan