Academy Magazine - Fall 2017 by Norfolk Academy

ACADE M Y

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

JAM ES B . M A S S E Y J R . L E A D E R S HI P C E NT E R Governor’s Visit · Defining Leadership Campaign · Poet Laureate Inspires

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FALL 2017

ACADEMY

NORFOL K ACA D EM Y M A G A Z INE

[ CONTENTS ]

FALL 2017 HEADMASTER

Dennis G. Manning DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Esther M. Diskin ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Grayson Bryant EDITOR

Esther Diskin EDITORIAL BOARD

Ruth Payne Acra ’86 Jeff Danielson Kathy Finney David Rezelman Toy Savage ’71 Aubrey Shinofield Gigi Cooke Tysinger ’87 Sean Wetmore ’86 PHOTOGRAPHY

Steve Budman Stephanie Oberlander Woody Poole Peter Finger DESIGN

Cheney & Company

CONVOCATION

With the Arrival of Norfolk Academy’s 300th Anniversary Class, A Message from Governor Terry McAuliffe: “Think Big”

Visit norfolkacademy.org for the latest school news, sports scores, and galleries of recent photos. You will also find direct links to all of our social networking communities.

6 8

Cover photo by Peter Finger

THE SAVAGE CHRONICLES

The Year of Listening—Actively

DEFINING LEADERSHIP: THE CAMPAIGN FOR 2028

Dedications: Massey Leadership Center, Youngkin Refectory Wynne-Darden Stadium

FROM THE CLASSROOM

The Magic of Shakespeare

Norfolk Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, or other schooladministered programs.

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CHAPEL

A Tribute to Mr. Jett Colonna

FROM THE BATTEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Experiential Leadership

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM

Exchange in Paris

INTERVIEW

Virginia’s Poet Laureate, Tim Seibles COLLEGE COUNSELING

Upward Trend in Early Applications

The Wizard of Oz

IN THE GAME

Julie Lambert, State Champion Interview: Coach Mary Werkheiser Interview: Coach Mike Duquette

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

STUDIO & STAGE

Alumni Gatherings Class Reunions CLASS NOTES

Class Notes In Memoriam

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

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FALL 2017

from the [ H E A D M A S T E R ]

DENNIS G. MANNING

Headmaster

As we explore the many facets of this Year of Listening, I find myself hearkening to new sounds on our campus. The opening of the James B. Massey Jr. Leadership Center at the heart of the school has created an expansive, modern corridor between the Middle and Upper Schools—with shared study rooms and a beautiful garden—and we are hearing the sounds of students discussing homework, planning projects, and sharing ideas in these new, glass-partitioned spaces. The hum of conversation at our family-style lunch has a different cadence and rhythm now, as students and faculty gather at round tables in the new Youngkin Refectory. Since lunch is a highlight of the day, students had spent last year debating the rumored demise of the long, rectangular tables: What would it be like to sit at round tables? The resounding response, after a few weeks to test out the tables and the new buffet carts: Lunch is better than ever, both the food and the conversation. With the restoration of the bell tower at the Wynne-Darden Stadium, we are hearing the bell ring out after our athletic victories (quite frequently, I will happily admit!). We have played our first football games under the lights, and we are seeing larger crowds for our athletic events, while our students on our new Sports Broadcasting Team are providing video and play-by-play commentary for fans who can’t make it to the campus. Of course, the sounds of construction continue in the Lower School, where the two-story expansion continues to rise; by the fall of 2018, we will have expanded space for our rapidly growing Engineering, Design, and Innovation program, and we will be hearing instrumental and vocal music emanating from the new performing arts spaces.

Perhaps spurred by the uplifting new spaces, there is an invigorating “buzz” on campus, one that might be seen as a reflection of our philosophy’s call for “judicious experimentation with the new.” We are embarking on a comprehensive curriculum review, and that close examination of our courses and teaching practices is giving rise to some fresh approaches. The Middle School Mini-mester, launched last May for 7th and 8th graders, was a rousing success and will expand this year to include 9th graders. Our Latin curriculum will move from a 7th grade start to 6th grade in the upcoming academic year, allowing for an earlier introduction to modern languages and an expansion of our offerings in classical languages; this year, for the first time, we are offering ancient Greek. More changes are yet to unfold, and all of them serve our constant aim to shape young men and women of character, who embrace learning with an enthusiasm and vigor that reflect the dedication that our teacher-coaches bring every day. The faculty have an abundance of ideas about how to keep improving our educational program; they consistently raise the bar in terms of innovation in the classroom. For all of this, I am grateful beyond measure. Of the many sounds on campus, the expressions of appreciation for the Norfolk Academy family— and the longstanding commitment of so many to this extraordinary school—are not new at all, but they are undoubtedly the most fitting. In this Year of Listening, let us all say “thank you” for the joy we share in shaping this school now and for the future. ◆

ACADEMY

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[ GOVERNOR’S VISIT ]

WITH THE ARRIVAL OF NORFOLK ACADEMY’S 300TH ANNIVERSARY CLASS, A MESSAGE FROM GOVERNOR TERRY MCAULIFFE:

Norfolk Academy launched into 2017 with one of the most exciting events in the school’s long history: A Convocation celebrating the arrival of the Class of 2028—the school’s 300th Anniversary Class—with Governor Terry McAuliffe as the keynote speaker.

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[ 300th ANNIVERSARY CLASS ]

“WITH ALL THE HISTORY AND HONOR OF NORFOLK ACADEMY COMES A TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY.” — GOVERNOR TERRY MCAULIFFE

The mood was ebullient as the 1st graders, the 71 members of the Class of 2028, paraded into the packed Burroughs gymnasium accompanied by their “buddies” and role models in the Senior Class. The entire campus community—all 1,207 students as well as administrators, teachers, and staff in three divisions—clapped to the rhythm of “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, a tune that saluted the school’s theme for the academic year 2016–17, The Year of Family. Opening the Convocation, Headmaster Dennis Manning welcomed Governor McAuliffe and Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander, who sat on the dais beside the Governor. Mr. Manning thanked the Governor for being willing to reschedule his visit to NA, and for “bringing a resplendently sun-splashed morning.” Originally scheduled for September, the Convocation had to be postponed to January, after torrential rains swept across the region, forcing schools to close.

ACADEMY

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TOP LEFT Seniors Haley Young, Karen Tan, and Jessica Thornton with Gidget Schlossberg ’28 in the Spirit Parade. LEFT Governor McAuliffe gathers with students before departure for a Twitter @TerryMcAuliffe photo.

In a rousing speech, Governor McAuliffe gave students a bold charge. Based on three pieces of advice, and gleaned from his own life experience, it is what he tells his five children whenever they discuss the future: “Think big, take chances, and never be afraid to fail.” At the age of 14, McAuliffe started his first business so that he would be able to pay for college. He lived in upstate New York at that time, and driveways were often ruined by the harsh winters. He started a business to put hot tar on driveways, employing his mother— at minimum wage, he joked—to drive him to neighbors’ houses, since he was too young to get a license. They toted the tubs of tar in the trunk. By the end of the summer, he had 10 crews working for him, he said. That humble beginning, tarring driveways and parking lots, led him to future businesses; he has started more than 30 businesses in his life, and he was the youngest chairman of a bank in U.S. history. Yet, the journey had its share of failures, including his 2009 run for governor, when, as he put it to the students, “I got crushed.” The key to failure, he said, is learning from your mistakes. “You know what, folks? I got up, dusted myself off, and I got back into that arena,” he said. “Because of that journey, I am now the 72nd Governor of Virginia.” He closed by reminding students to keep learning throughout their lives, and he gave a particular endorsement of computer science; he said that jobs in cyber-security and other 21st century technology net high salaries, and there are not enough people to fill those jobs. “With all the history and honor of Norfolk Academy comes a tremendous responsibility,” McAuliffe told the students, noting that he travels across the state all the time and sees many schools which do

not have comparable resources. “Use that education to inspire and help other individuals.” The governor’s reminder of the need to serve others reinforced a message that Mr. Manning struck in his opening remarks. “We may be an independent school,” Mr. Manning said, “but we have always had a vitally important—an enduring—public and civic commitment to the City of Norfolk, to this region, and to the Commonwealth.” Several students participated in the Convocation ceremony: • Clay Best ’17, President of the Tunstall Student Council, offered the invocation; • Gerald Thomas ’23, President of the Lower School Student Council, led the Pledge of Allegiance; • Jessica Thornton ’17 sang the National Anthem; • Tyler Windsor ’17, Chair of the Honor Council, introduced Governor McAuliffe; • Wyatt Pleming ’20, President of the Middle School Student Council, offered the Benediction.

Upper School students said that they loved the governor’s message. “I liked the way he said to take chances, don’t be afraid to fail,” said Robert Frazier ’19. “You could feel the energy in the room,” said Parker Kreiser ’19. “You can come from nothing, and you can do anything you set your mind to.” ◆

TOP Seniors and 1st graders from the historic 300th anniversary class march into the gym. MIDDLE Gov. McAuliffe and Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander greet students. BOTTOM Gov. McAuliffe met with Headmaster Manning and members of the Board of Trustees.

Esther Diskin serves as Director of Communications and teaches English in the Upper School.

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

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FALL 2017

THE

savage

CHRONICLES

F O R E YEA

— G N TENI

LIS

Y L E V I ACT

STUDENTS WHO FEEL HEARD AND RESPECTED GROW IN CONFIDENCE AND MATURITY OF THOUGHT.

ACADEMY

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THE YEAR OF LISTENING

Dennis Manning announced in June that the 2017–2018 school year would be The Year of Listening. “Listening” follows such terms as “Family,” “Curiosity,” and “Caring.” Among other things, giving each academic year a theme helps faculty and students remember to focus on the school’s Philosophy and Objectives, which in its 50th year remains as fresh and as apt as it was when penned in the summer of 1978. Each member of the Academy family should take the time to read it at the beginning of the school year. “Listening” seems particularly appropriate for this moment in history. In an era of mounting political cacophony and growing social divides, to remind ourselves to listen is timely indeed. Even in the confines of this wonderful campus, the ability to hear and understand one another is a goal much to be sought. And yet, for many there is something about the directive to listen that brings a certain defensiveness. Mr. Manning, in praising the virtues of listening to the faculty, spoke of it as an act of unselfishness, using a word of the ilk that only he can use so well—self-abnegation (look it up—I had to). Perhaps it is this concept of giving up of self that makes the act of listening somewhat scary for many. But at the risk of contradicting the Headmaster, I think the best listeners, particularly those involved in the world of education, are very much present in any communication. Starting with noted 20th century psychologist Carl Rogers, the concept of being an “active listener” began to emerge. Mortimer Adler’s 1984 “Padeia Proposal,” the basis for our long-running seminar program, relied on active cross-listening between seminar leaders and participants. Grant Wiggins, noted education researcher and writer, broadened this concept into everyday schooling when proposing his “Education by Design” programs in the late 1990s. Law schools

have been for decades clinging to the Socratic method, in which teachers simply ask questions and respond effectively to student answers with another question. At the core of all of this is the idea that listening is not just reception—it is action. Under this view of things, it is not only the listeners who benefit from what they hear; it is the speakers who can grow from the thoughtful response from the listeners. Students who feel heard and respected grow in confidence and maturity of thought. Faculty willing to listen to students, both when they ask questions and when they give feedback, can develop into better teachers. Among other things, thoughtful listening-based dialogues help form those relationships between teachers and students we cherish so much. In short, we have become a much better school by getting beyond the old model of simple lecture and test. Besides, there’s so much beauty to be heard around this place. Start your morning with a 9th-grade speech in the Price Auditorium. If you really listen you will hear a teenage boy or girl coming of age. Stop in the Youngkin Refectory at noon and hear the contented bubbling of Lower School boys and girls between bites of the delicious lunches they are enjoying. Drop by Dr. Affronti’s Ecosystems class and listen to his students, huddled in pairs over water quality testing equipment before they head out onto the water to put them to use, going back and forth as to how to make the devices work. And at the end of the day, listen to the short, desperate gulps of breath from the soccer players as they are told by Coach Monaco to run one more sprint. It all makes for a beautiful symphony. If you’ll just listen. ◆ Toy Savage ’71 serves as Director of Planned Giving and teaches history in the Middle School. Follow his blog at www.thesavagechronicles.org.

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

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FALL 2017

ACADEMY

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[ D E F I N I N G L E A D E R S H I P ] The Campaign for 2028

Defining Leadership: THE CAMPAIGN FOR 2028 IT IS WITH GREAT PRIDE AND GRATITUDE THAT WE DEDICATE THREE MAJOR FACILITIES, WHICH WILL ADD IMMEASURABLY TO THE LIFE OF NORFOLK ACADEMY FOR DECADES TO COME. THE GENEROSITY OF THE NA COMMUNITY CERTAINLY DEFINES LEADERSHIP, CHARTING THE COURSE FOR A NEW ERA AT THIS HISTORIC SCHOOL.

The Youngkin Refectory, inside and out. “This gift touches 1,200 children every single day,” said Mr. Manning at the dedication ceremony. “We are so grateful for this extraordinary asset.”

ABOVE

hree major projects have reached completion as part of Norfolk Academy’s Defining Leadership: The Campaign for 2028—the James B. Massey Jr. Leadership Center, the Youngkin Refectory, and the WynneDarden Stadium. Taken together, these projects will have a transformative impact and will position Norfolk Academy “in the national vanguard of education,” Headmaster Dennis G. Manning said. To date, the school has raised $64 million of the $65 million goal for the campaign. In addition to funding the building projects, nearly $20 million has been raised for the school’s endowment to fund scholarships, provide faculty support, and ensure the success of the school’s programs and curricular innovation. Mr. Manning recognized the Board of Trustees, and the leadership of Trustees Peter Ill and John Gibson III ’78, who led the silent phase of the campaign and brought the school to this point. The public phase of the campaign is now underway, led by Trustees Chris Perry, Jack Ruffin ’82, and John O. Wynne, Jr. ’94. “Thanks to all of our donors who have helped us reach Olympian heights,” Mr. Manning said. “We appeal to every Bulldog in the land to participate in these events and join in the campaign.” With the Massey Leadership Center, Youngkin Refectory, and WynneDarden Stadium officially launched, the school is looking ahead to the final project in the Defining Leadership Campaign. An addition to the Lower School, including space for the Engineering, Design, & Innovation program, as well as expansive space for visual and performing arts, is scheduled for an official opening in fall 2019.

LEFT The Class of 2018 enjoys an

NA tradition, “Senior Doughnuts with Faculty,” in front of the new Massey Center.

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

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FALL 2017

[ D E F I N I N G L E A D E R S H I P ] The Campaign for 2028

IN HIS INVOCATION, MR. MASSEY’S SON, THE HONORABLE JOSEPH P. MASSEY ’69, SPOKE OF THE LOVE AND LOYALTY THAT HAD BUOYED THE SCHOOL AND ALLOWED IT TO ENDURE:

“As we celebrate those who brought us to this place, let us also celebrate those whose present commitment will take this place to where it has yet to come. A future with a commitment to developing good character, teaching with a high expectation of a child’s capacities, and cultivating a kind heart toward those less fortunate. Yes, Lord, we know these to be lofty ideals, but attainable because of those who have loved, those that do love, and those who will come to know and love this very special place we call the Academy.”

LEFT TOP Ribbon-cutting for the Youngkin Refectory. Left to right: Headmaster Dennis Manning, Glenn and Suzanne Youngkin, Board President Tim Stiffler. LEFT MIDDLE Tommy Rueger ’65, Katie Van Buren,

Board President Tim Stiffler, and Bill Van Buren gathered in the Massey lobby. LEFT BOTTOM Glenn and Suzanne Youngkin offered reflections and a blessing before the meal.

ACADEMY

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ABOVE Joseph P. Massey

’69 and Thomas C. Massey ’66 stand in the lobby of the Massey Leadership Center in front of a portrait of their father, former Headmaster James B. Massey Jr.

TOP Ribbon-cutting for the Massey Center. Left to right: Headmaster Dennis Manning, Thomas Massey ’66, Judge Joseph Massey ’69, Ashley Massey ’00, Price Massey Hall ’02, and Board President Tim Stiffler. BOTTOM Peter Ill led the silent phase of the campaign with Campaign Co-Chair John Gibson III ’78.

A DEDICATION DOUBLEHEADER

The James B. Massey Jr. Leadership Center and the Youngkin Refectory… and a Surprise It was an extraordinary, truly momentous occasion for celebration and gratitude—even for a school with nearly three centuries of history to provide context. Norfolk Academy held a special edition of the annual President’s Dinner on October 5 to dedicate two new buildings that have transformed student life on campus. First came the dedication of the Massey Leadership Center, named for the headmaster who created the modern Norfolk Academy. Mr. Massey led the school for 28 years, from 1950 to 1978, a tenure that saw the rebirth of the school after World War II; under his leadership the school progressed from a neighborhood boys school to a nationally recognized coeducational day school. After that ribbon-cutting, guests reconvened in the Youngkin Refectory for the second dedication of the evening. Glenn Youngkin ’85 and his wife, Suzanne, whose donation allowed for a major, two-story addition to the refectory, offered reflections and a blessing.

“When I was here at Norfolk Academy, this was the most special part of the day,” Glenn Youngkin said, “and it still is: sitting down and sharing a meal with a teacher, or an administrator, friends, and people you don’t know… That is such an extraordinary moment, one that takes a meal and transforms it into community.” The evening included a surprise announcement: The school’s Center for Civic and Global Leadership, home to the five Fellows programs and the Medical Scholars Program, will now carry the Batten name in honor of Mrs. Jane Batten, whose support was critical to the successful launch of the Center. Mrs. Batten and her late husband, Frank Batten, have been generous donors to the Academy, and their philanthropy has been a creative force at many schools, colleges, and universities across the nation. Board President Timothy J. Stiffler noted: “The Batten name is synonymous with leadership.”

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

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FALL 2017

[ W Y N N E - D A R D E N S TA D I U M ]

New Stadium Honors Historic Friendship Norfolk Academy dedicated the new Wynne-Darden Stadium on May 5, a celebratory and historic occasion at a school where nearly all students participate in sports at some point in their educational journey. The expansive brick stadium features a state-of-the-art turf field for football and lacrosse, a new track, seating for more than 900 fans, a high-tech scoreboard, locker rooms, restrooms, a concession stand, and—to the particular delight of many alumni—a beautiful new bell tower. The facility’s name is a tribute to the close friendship between two businessmen and philanthropic leaders educated at Norfolk Academy, John O. “Dubby” Wynne ’63 and the late Joshua P. Darden ’54. Both men had long tenures on the school’s Board of Trustees and served in the role of President. In his remarks, Dr. Tom Alberico, then-President of the Board of Trustees, spoke about the impact of that extraordinary friendship, and the way that the two men spurred others into action through their passionate example of service. “It was a friendship that brought joy to the two men, but not merely that; it was a partnership that wrought positive, forward-looking changes to this school, the Tidewater region, and the state of Virginia,” Dr. Alberico said. “We can say of the Wynne-Darden friendship that its warmth was felt, and continues to be felt, far beyond the two men, touching the lives of many thousands.” An emotional high point of the ceremony came during remarks by John O. “Dubby” Wynne ’63, when he spoke of Joshua Darden’s love for sports. “He enjoyed watching, especially if his family members or close friends’ family members were participating. Experiencing the camaraderie and the spirit of friendship of being in the stands with a group of friends brought him real joy,” he said. The ceremony closed with an event that many alumni have been awaiting for more than a decade: the celebratory ringing of the bell—a bell that has had a long connection to school history. The bell dates from 1924, when it hung in the belfry of the school building on the Newport Avenue site. After Norfolk Academy moved to the current campus, several classes in the mid-1970s raised funds to erect a bell tower at the front of the school; students would ring the bell after sports victories and for other occasions. During construction of the Tucker Arts Center in 2004, the bell tower was removed. The new stadium construction allowed for its victorious return to a place of beauty and prominence. At the close of the ceremony, as the grandchildren of the two patriarchs pulled the rope, the bell’s joyful peal rang out across the fields. ◆ Esther Diskin is Director of Communications.

ACADEMY

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REFLECTION

How Athletics Shapes Character The dedication of the Wynne-Darden

FAR LEFT The new bell tower was an immediate sensation. LEFT BELOW The stadium includes an announcer’s booth and a concession stand. BELOW John O. “Dubby” Wynne ’63 spoke at the dedication about his close friend, the late Joshua P. Darden. FAR RIGHT Members of the Wynne family and the family of Joshua and Betty Darden.

Stadium complex this spring offered an opportunity to truly reflect on the role of athletics in shaping the character of young men and women. As the entire school community celebrated the opening of the stadium—a dramatic improvement to the aluminum stands that had served the field for close to 20 years—they also expressed gratitude for the generations of service to Norfolk Academy from the two families whose names the stadium now bears, as well as to those who have contributed to Defining Leadership: The Campaign for 2028. But as important as the wonderful new facilities are, and as impressive as the generosity that has made them possible is, it is what transpires at practice that really makes a difference. There are three important aspects to the magic that happens out there on fall and spring afternoons. The first is the relationships that form between players and coaches. When at practice minute after minute, hour after hour, and day after day, a brutal but nevertheless lovely honesty can emerge. An athlete not giving his all, or a coach not committed to his sport are soon revealed. When both are at their best, on the other hand, relationships based on trust and respect are created that last a lifetime

Second, the true meaning of athletic competition becomes clear. Whether it be blocking for your halfback or handing the baton to the next leg in the relay, individual boys and girls become transformed into teammates. Mr. Massey once wrote that our school tries to create an atmosphere “where daily person-to-person association between adult and student results in a feeling of mutual need, mutual respect, and even mutual disappointment when either fails the other.” Nowhere is that more true than in athletics. Finally, we understand that respect for the game and our fellow competitors remain foremost. Wynne-Darden is the same place where years ago Norfolk Academy, upon discovering the next day that we had scored the game-winning touchdown against St. Christopher’s School on an extra down, conceded the game rather than celebrate a tainted victory. In myriad other ways we try to always keep sportsmanship as our first priority. Mr. Wynne said it best that May afternoon. There are times when sports can provide a “compass for life.” ◆ Toy Savage ’71 serves as Director of Planned Giving and teaches history in the Middle School.

NORFOLK ACADEMY MAGAZINE

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FALL 2017

from the [ C L A S S R O O M ]

SHAKESPEARE IN THE CLASSROOM

“’Tis True, There’s Magic in the Web of It”

In Act III of Hamlet, the troubled Danish prince explains to a visiting group of actors the purpose of the theater, as he instructs them on some of the finer points of performance: “to hold, as ’twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.” The meta-theatrical ironies and complexities of actors discussing acting become even more complex when an audience remembers that Hamlet struggles to act on the revenge his father’s ghost has urged him to do. The passage also instructs us all that the function of art is to show us an uncompromising view of the real, ranging from the best (“virtue”) to the worst (“scorn”), and attempting to take the full measure of the times and people as they are (“the very age and body of the time”). I have always found this passage intriguing and another of thousands of reasons why it is so worthwhile to read, watch, and teach Shakespeare’s plays. Norfolk Academy students read Hamlet in their senior year as the final play in a sequence of at least six of Shakespeare’s plays in our curriculum. From 7th grade until their senior year, students study at least one Shakespeare play each year: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Tempest, and Hamlet, moving from comedies to tragedies in a sequence of spiraling complexity. Seniors have the option of even more Shakespeare:

ACADEMY

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Those in Rich Peccie’s Shakespeare class will also read Henry V, Othello, and Taming of the Shrew (along with two other plays they choose and independently read), and those students in Dennis Manning’s course “Dimensions of Leadership in Shakespeare” will also read Henry IV, Part One; King Lear, and a book of Shakespeare’s sonnets. This intensely Shakespearean curriculum over the course of six years of study begs the question: Why should we devote so much time to studying and writing about a single playwright from the 17th century? At Norfolk Academy we believe that teaching Shakespeare is an important part of a good education. With a vocabulary larger than that displayed in the King James Bible, Shakespeare’s plays offer students a tour of some of the most important words and phrases in the English language, but these plays do so much more than just convey word lists. Shakespeare offers the English teacher an occasion to do everything that you can do in an English class. Working through 17th century dramatic verse is no easy task, and the very reading of it (especially alongside careful parsing and analysis in class) trains students in the intricacies of syntax and grammar. The simple sentence from Othello, “An Egyptian did that handkerchief to my mother give” can offer a careful reader a number of observations about the nature of the English sentence, for example. In addition to the linguistic education involved in studying Shakespeare’s plays, readers and audiences work their way through a variety of rhetorical strategies and arguments in each play, as star-crossed lovers woo each other, ambitious soldiers yearn to be king, and troubled Danes examine the deepest of ontological questions when they assert “To be or not to be, that is the question.” This menagerie of characters also serves as a kind of periodic table of human psychology, offering a view of a variety of human beings at different stages of life still quite recognizable to our modern sensibilities. Norfolk Academy students also come to appreciate not just how Shakespeare’s words work on the page, but they also consider and work with how these words can come to life on the stage. Caroline Bisi, Director of Drama, took our own actors through a splendid production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the fall of 2016 with students from grades 7 through 12 acting. Under the guidance of Royster teachers Liz Staub and Blair Monaco, 8th grade students have put on marvelous productions of Much Ado About Nothing, transforming, complete with fake beards and plastic swords, the Price Auditorium stage into the comic and complex Italian court of Leonato in Messina. Ninth, 11th, and 12th grade classes have worked with professional actors from the Virginia Shakespeare Company in residencies at NA to examine the many ways to understand Shakespeare’s plays from the point of view of the actors who bring these plays to life, an activity that culminated last year with a class trip for

the juniors to see a production of The Tempest in Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall, and our 9th graders this past fall saw the American Shakespeare Center’s production of Romeo and Juliet at the Sandler Center in Virginia Beach. Although Shakespeare’s language, cultural reference, and dramatic conventions will always take some work for students to understand, Norfolk Academy classes have never apologized for that complexity. Instead, we embrace it and teach it through reading, writing, and performance in every way we can at every grade we can. By getting our students to work through the sometimes abstruse, but rewarding iambic pentameter of Shakespeare’s plays, Norfolk Academy students take the measure of the best and worst of “the very age and body of the time,” both Shakepeare’s and our own. ◆ Dr. David Kidd is Chairman of the English Department and Co-Director of the Literacy Fellows program.

Various scenes from Norfolk Academy’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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FALL 2017

Recollections of an Advisor’s Toughness and Caring:

A Tribute to Mr. Jett Colonna

“IN ORDER TO BE A MENTOR, AND AN EFFECTIVE ONE, ONE MUST CARE. YOU MUST CARE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW HOW MANY SQUARE MILES ARE IN IDAHO, YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS THE CHEMICAL MAKEUP… OF BLOOD OR WATER. KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW AND CARE ABOUT THE PERSON, CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU KNOW AND CARE ABOUT THE PERSON YOU’RE SHARING WITH.” — MAYA ANGELOU

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[ CHAPEL ]

REMEMBERING JETT COLONNA

He had a magical way of finding the connections between all of the students, making everyone feel comfortable. The year was 1994, and I nervously started my first year at Norfolk Academy as an 8th grader, transferring from a career at Rosemont Forest Elementary and Salem Middle School. My first memory of being a Bulldog was waiting in line for the Bookstore to open to buy books for the new school year. I was a little overwhelmed at the school spirit and camaraderie of students even while waiting in the line—it was like they were excited to be there on campus, even though it was still summertime. On the first day of school, I walked into Ancient Civilizations and was struck by the array of memorabilia and art on the walls and ceilings. Historical pictures, writings, letters from students, boxing gloves, surfing posters, and a parrot mobile hanging near his desk. It was intense, overpowering, and an excellent introduction to Jett Colonna, the man who would become my first advisor. Mr. Colonna had a very square jaw and intense eyes that felt like they were sizing you up for a fight, not that I planned on squaring up to the guy, but he had an air about him that if I was thinking about throwing a punch, he would win. While being so tough, Mr. Colonna also had a softness and stoicism about him. I didn’t have the language for it at the time, but now I would coin it as living a life of mindfulness and reflection. He saw the interconnectedness of mankind and nature; through surfing, he grounded himself in his relationship to the earth and the water. How I ended up in his advisee group that year, I may never know, but my relationship with Mr. Colonna shaped my Norfolk Academy experience. Our advisee group was an eclectic bunch. Yet he had a magical way of finding the connections between all of the students to make everyone feel comfortable in the group. During our advisee lunches, he would engage us in conversations about everything, from happenings on campus, to the O.J. Simpson trial, the tragedy of the Oklahoma City bombings, the fairness of standardized

tests, Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” and whether evolution and creation are mutually exclusive. He had a way of naturally moderating a conversation to ensure that each student, even those of us who were a little quieter, shared their thoughts. Mr. Colonna challenged me to be an independent thinker and also to articulate my views. By the end of the year, I felt more comfortable and confident in speaking to adults, during class, and in front of groups—all which seemed implausible at the beginning of the year. With a good bit of coaxing and coaching, Mr. Colonna encouraged me to participate in a contest he hosted annually in the pit: 8th graders reciting the Marc Antony soliloquy from Julius Caesar. I dressed up in my bed-sheet toga, addressed my “friends, Romans, and countrymen”… and I won 3rd place. Fast forward to my senior year. I was sitting in the pit during my free bell, when Mr. Colonna approached me. He pulled me aside, looked at me squarely with his piercing eyes, and told me of his pride as he watched me grow up. He handed me a large bag, said that it was “nothing much,” and walked away. I barely squeaked out a “thank you.” I remember opening the bag and being shocked to see a puffy, gray and blue, Duke Starter jacket. You guys are way too young to appreciate what this means—but for a sports fan, who had recently been admitted to Duke University—this gift was gold. Mr. Colonna passed away the first year after my return to Norfolk Academy. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I was heartbroken that I had not had the opportunity to reconnect with him as an adult. But I still own the Starter jacket that provides a constant reminder of the value in what I think Norfolk Academy does so well, developing relationships that extend beyond the classroom of faculty and students. ◆ Sarah Goodson ’99 is Assistant Director of the Upper School and Director of the Global Health Fellows Program.

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FALL 2017

Experiential Leadership TESTING ONE’S LIMITS TO PREPARE FOR A LIFE OF PURPOSE

Failure, success, learning by doing, moving beyond the classroom, seeing the process firsthand, and a positive and healthy feedback loop are key components of what is delivered each day to our Fellows as they tackle improving their leadership skills. This approach, which finds its roots in how we deliver content to our Fellows, is labeled “Experiential Leadership.” The Batten Civic and Global Leadership Program combines classroom lessons on key life skills and the tenets of leadership with authentic opportunities to lead, follow, experience, and be exposed firsthand to leadership. Through this four-year process, each student focuses on critical skills needed to, as the school’s objective states, be responsible “for service to others, first through respect of self, and then for other members” in the pursuit of living a life of purpose. Year one, the students focus on “self,” as they learn skills they will need to be responsible and self-reliant. They focus on organizational skills, how to set and obtain measurable goals, and they compare management vs. leadership. In addition, they take a personality test and analyze the results. Year two marks a progression from self to others, and the students focus on those skills needed to work in the service of others. They focus on how to motivate, how to lead by example, the art of communication and the skills needed to run an effective meeting. Year three the students focus on change. They learn about the skills needed to inspire and change the culture of an organization, club, or team. They explore the stresses associated with change, how to develop a plan, build consensus and momentum across an organization, and how to implement the change while ensuring positive feedback.

For many Norfolk Academy students, accustomed to navigating urban and suburban life in Hampton Roads, days and nights in the wilderness pose challenges and promote growth in unexpected ways.

ACADEMY

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from the [ B A T T E N L E A D E R S H I P P R O G R A M ]

The final year culminates with discussions on mentorship, including the characteristics of a good mentor and the value to the community. At the end of each year students spend several weeks working on a personal philosophy, based on that year’s focus, which they can use to help guide them. Throughout the year and during the summer trips, the students take these concepts and critical skills and put them into action. The opportunities we give the students range from very simple to the more complex, but throughout them all there is a backdrop of teachers, coaches, and mentors providing guidance and support, ensuring no risk is too great to attempt. During each of the off-campus adventures in which Fellows participate, there is one Bulldog who is selected as the leader of the day. This leader is responsible for making all the daily decisions regarding the group. In their early years, these decisions may be simple, with more complex decisions left to juniors and seniors. A student might have to choose when and where the group

will have breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This may seem mundane, but for a 15-year-old teenager, responsible for feeding a group, the decision can be daunting. They learn quickly what leadership style works best when dealing with their peers, how to account for budgets, culinary desires, and other limitations. They know they must decide, or the group will not eat. That threat of failure makes this a true experiential leadership opportunity. The process does not end with students making decisions, but continues as we spend thoughtful time at the end of each day focusing on the positive and negative lessons from the day. By being responsible for authentic decisions, by experiencing leadership firsthand, and by engaging in active assessments, the students learn so much more than they would in just the classroom. This is the bedrock of the CCGL program, and in the leadership domain we are doing just that—letting kids try and fail, and in doing so, change and grow. The showcase leadership experience is an eight-day Leadership Lab that students will undertake during their sophomore summer. The students begin by camping in the woods for five days. They learn to face their fears of being in the wilderness, particularly at night; this culminates in a solo overnight excursion, during which time the student spends time reflecting on the changes they would like to make in themselves, the school, and the community. The Leadership Lab finishes in Washington, D.C., where the students experience how to communicate and navigate in an urban setting. They finish their time in the city with a daylong Bulldog Urban Challenge. They are presented with an Amazing Race– like adventure to execute in a team of four. Using only public transportation, they traverse almost the entire city as they decode riddles, decipher clues, and participate in leadership activities. Classroom lessons on key life skills, combined with authentic opportunities to apply these lessons, bring a unique learning opportunity to the students. What is so powerful about this approach, and the experience gained, is that it dovetails neatly into what Mr. Massey declared so many years ago as one key mission, which is to provide our students with “identity and a sense of individual responsibility… daily person-to-person association between pupil and teacher results in a feeling of mutual need, mutual respect, and even mutual disappointment.” Today we are living up to that charge; our students are failing, succeeding, and learning through experiential leadership! ◆ Bernie McMahon serves as Dean of Students and an Assistant Director for the Middle School. He also directs leadership programming for the Batten Civic and Global Leadership Program.

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FALL 2017

[ I N T E R N AT I O N A L P R O G R A M ]

2 EXTENDED EXCHANGE

A Student Lens on La Ville Lumière 5

Last year, Emma Christoffersen, Noa Greenspan, and Clay Littel, all Class of 2018, flew from Norfolk to Paris, slightly apprehensive but excited to spend the next nine weeks abroad. They were welcomed by their host families, who introduced them to Courbevoie, Levallois, and Puteaux, the Parisian suburbs where they would live. During October, November, and December, the three attended Saint Dominique, NA’s sister school in Neuilly-sur-Seine—a linguistically and culturally immersive experience. However, their favorite time was spent outside the classroom exploring the city together. Emma, Noa, and Clay share their most memorable spots from around the City of Light…

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3 1

THE CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES was a common place for the three of us to go. There were Christmas and holiday decorations all up and down the street, and the sidewalks were filled with holiday street vendors. (Clay)

2 We had a week of vacation when the

three of us arrived, so my host family brought me to their cabin near Chamonix in the FRENCH ALPS. We hiked for about four hours to get to this lake and walked two more hours to get back down to our cabin. (Clay)

3 On OUR LAST DAY IN PARIS, we spent the afternoon walking around the city and ended the evening with our weekly tradition of hot chocolate at Angelina’s. (Noa) 4

PASTRIES: Near “St. Do,” there was a little boulangerie/patisserie where we occasionally bought lunch. All the food

was beautiful, and we loved their Nutella Sablés, cookies made from pastry and filled with Nutella. (Emma)

BRIDGES ON THE SEINE: In Paris, there are so many old bridges spanning the Seine at different places. During our first week, we visited the Museé D’Orsay located on the right river bank in an old train station, and the Musée de Louvre on the left bank. (Emma)

6 SEINE RIVER: I loved walking along the Seine and seeing its beautiful bridges, art students sketching on the banks, and bouquinistes selling posters and rare books.(Noa) 7

GRANDE ROUE: My host sisters Aude and Claire took me on the Grande Roue, a Ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde. At the top, we had a view of the Eiffel Tower at sunset. (Noa)

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FALL 2017

[ VISITING POET ]

Tim Seibles, a nationally acclaimed poet and professor of creative writing at Old Dominion University, gave a riveting reading of his poetry, most from his recent collection, One Turn Around the Sun, which was published on Valentine’s Day in 2017; many of the poems are reflections about his parents, exploring their life histories as well as his relationship with them. Other poems came from earlier collections, including Fast Animal, which made him a 2012 finalist for the National Book Award. During the current academic year, Seibles has returned to Norfolk Academy as Visiting Author, conducting writing workshops and spurring the passion for language that shapes his own approach to writing. He got a headstart on the project; after his April reading, more than 50 students waited patiently in line to buy one of his books and get him to sign the copy. During his visit, Seibles sat down for an interview about the writing life, including his practice of writing in coffee shops with essential tools—noise-blocking headphones and “a huge supply of pencils.” Q: What are some challenges facing poets today? Silence itself is under siege. Earbuds, entertainment on your phone… if you don’t want to ever have silence in your head, you don’t have to. That is not good for writers. You have to be able to sit with your own thoughts and feelings. You have to choose to turn off and unplug. Q: How does poetry find an audience at a time when people are barraged by media? Once people encounter poetry they understand, that doesn’t make them feel dumb, they are open to it. Right now, we are in a golden age with poetry readings, open mic nights, and spoken word poems, some of which have made their way to the page. Poetry has found a hungry audience and not just younger people. Lots of people right now are reading poems and writing them.

Tim Seibles VIRGINIA’S POET LAUREATE

From his opening poem, “What Bugs Bunny Said to Red Riding Hood,” Virginia’s Poet Laureate, Tim Seibles, seized and held the attention of students, faculty, and alumni as the speaker for the

Q: Can you name some poets that you admire, or whose work has influenced you? It’s a long list. Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, Countee Cullen, Anne Sexton, Ocean Vuong, Terrance Hayes, Ange Nafis, and Tyehimba Jess, who recently won the Pulitzer Prize. That’s a partial list! These are multi-ethnic voices. The history of our country has some pretty ugly chapters. Poetry humanizes people, and nonwhite poets can be recognized in the fullness of their humanity through their work. People who don’t know can be ushered into greater understanding. The canon has been biased; all of us should be perceived as equally valid proponents of American thought and soul. There is beautiful work by all people. If we can become a society that embraces its complexity, part of that will come through the arts.

Alumni luncheon.

Q: You play guitar, and you love music. Yet you said that you don’t listen to music while you are writing, because it distracts you from the sounds of language; those headphones you wear maintain the quiet you need to concentrate. What connection do you see between music and poetry? Music is language beyond speech. You are invited to be awake in a different way than your normal consciousness. That is what music does, and that is what poetry does. Interview conducted by Esther Diskin, Director of Communications

ACADEMY

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WHAT BUGS BU

NNY SAID TO RED RIDING HO OD

Say, good lookin, what brings you out thisaway amongst the fanged and the fluffy? Grandma, huh?

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FALL 2017

[ C O L L E G E ] counseling

The Early Bird Gets the Worm MOST NORFOLK ACADEMY STUDENTS APPLY EARLY TO AT LEAST ONE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, IN LINE WITH A NATIONAL TREND.

pertaining to college admission begin with two words: “It depends…” A complex landscape of colleges and universities with vastly different institutional priorities, approaches to recruitment, and philosophies regarding applicant review, yields a process which can be befuddling for even the most conscientious students. Amidst the gray are two certainties: the process evolves swiftly, and change is assured. There is no part of the experience where that change is more clear than when one looks at the shifting timeline for college applicants. Just a few years ago, the vast majority of college-going sophomores and juniors made their way through thoughtfully paced college searches and application preparation in anticipation of submitting applications on or around January 1 of senior year. The national trend however, is towards rising seniors who begin application preparation during the summer prior to senior year and apply using an early application path during the months of September and October. Norfolk Academy applicants are following that trend; this past fall more than 90 percent of the senior class applied early to at least one college or university. So why the shift? Many of the nation’s most selective colleges

THE ANSWERS TO MOST QUESTIONS

yield more than half of their incoming freshmen through binding Early Decision procedures (which by definition ask students to commit to attending a college or university if admitted, upon submitting an application). These include such well-known institutions as Davidson, Kenyon, Middlebury and the University of Pennsylvania. By offering the option, and all early application paths (e.g. Early Decision, Early Decision II, Restrictive Early Action, Early Action) colleges are working to elicit clear applicant behavior, to decrease admission rates, and to increase yield. Quite simply, the early bird gets the worm, and applicants who are “all in” are very attractive. A close comparison of admission rates for Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision applicants (at schools where multiple application types exist), often demonstrates the increased likelihood of an admission offer for students who are capable of making early commitments. Norfolk Academy students are paying attention. With full acknowledgment that Early Decision (when available) is not for every student, and is discouraged for some, the Norfolk Academy College Counseling team is eager to protect the option, and all early application paths, for students who are inclined to

ACADEMY

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consider them. What does this mean for our community? Beginning in the 10th grade, the College Counseling team encourages students and parents to cast a wide search net, to engage in considerable self-examination, to build a broad definition of success, and to commit to comprehensive exploration of prospective college options. Students work towards the goal of narrowing their college lists by the summer between junior and senior year, and those who are inclined to pursue an early application path (of any kind), are prepared to make that choice by the fall. Whether a student’s goal is to benefit from the advantageous position granted to applicants who are willing and able to make an Early Decision commitment, or simply to rest with the confidence that is built by having an Early Action admission offer in one’s back pocket in December, the College Counseling team is pleased that our students have established a clear understanding of the trend. We look forward to providing ongoing support and guidance to all students and families as the process and timeline evolve. ◆

The Class of 2017 celebrated a school tradition, College T-Shirt Day. The 106 members of the class are attending 50 different colleges and universities across the nation.

Jennifer K.S. Scott, Director of College Counseling

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FALL 2017

STUDIO

stage

The Wizard of Oz Norfolk Academy performers danced down the yellow brick road and flew up into the rafters, taking audiences on a magical journey. “There’s no place like home!” 1

Caroline Bisi, Director of the Winter Musical, teaches drama in the Middle and Upper Schools.

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1 Miss Gulch (Chai Hibbert) takes flight. 2

“If I… were King… of the forest!” Cowardly Lion (Noah Sutton) 3

“Snatch the sickening girl… and her equally nauseating little dog!” Flying Monkey (Reed Miller), Wicked Witch of the West (Jaden Baum), Nikko (Sean Miller) 4

“We’re off the see the Wizard… the wonderful Wizard of Oz!” Scarecrow (Patrick McElroy), Tinman (Rice Webb), Dorothy (Sophia Burke), Cowardly Lion (Noah Sutton) 5

“We’ll gaze into the crystal ball… I see a house with a picket fence!”

Professor Marvel (Sean Miller), Dorothy (Sophia Burke), Toto (Artemis Willis) 6

“I got a permanent just for the occasion!” Cowardly Lion (Noah Sutton), Emerald City Beauticians 7

“Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!” Dorothy (Sophia Burke), Glinda (Mary Alice Russell), Munchkins

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FALL 2017

STUDIO

stage

The Wizard of Oz (continued)

“The Wicked Old Witch at last is dead!” Mayor of Munchkinland (Matthew Fisher), Barrister of Munchkinland (Caitlin Fisher)

“They’re not birds… they’re flying monkeys!!” Flying Monkeys (Christopher Asuncion, Lily Mersel, Alexandra Kerr, Blake Brown, Phoebe Montagna, Leo Kamer, Reed Miller)

“I am the great and powerful Wizard of Oz!” Dorothy (Sophia Burke), Toto (Artemis Willis), Wizard of Oz (Thomas Whyte), Scarecrow (Patrick McElroy) 4

“It’s empty. The tinsmith forgot to give me a heart.” Scarecrow (Patrick McElroy), Tinman (Rice Webb), Dorothy (Sophia Burke) 28

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“The Munchkins called me because a new witch has just dropped a house on the Wicked Witch of the East.” Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Mary Alice Russell)

“It’s a twister! C’mon, everybody into the storm cellar!” Anthony Asuncion (Hickory), Jordan Franzman (Zeke), Sam Heller (Hunk), Miles Fine (Uncle Henry), Lindley Richardson (Aunt Em), Twister Dancers in the background

“That’s how we laugh the day away in the merry old land of Oz!” Emerald City citizens

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FALL 2017

in the [ G A M E ]

The Clock Tells the Tale: She’s the Fastest JULIA LAMBERT, STATE CHAMPION

Even in her early days, when she was just a 1st grader in P.E. class at Norfolk Academy, Julia Lambert ’17 recalls that she “wanted to be the fastest.” Yet, during her Lower School years, soccer was her main passion, although she dabbled in other sports too—basketball, tennis, and summer swim team. She didn’t really home in on the sheer power of racing until 6th grade, when a concussion temporarily sidelined her from soccer. Shortly after that concussion, she ran her fastest mile in P.E. class, cutting her time by 20 seconds, and then she ran the Final Mile, a featured event for elementary school students at the Operation Smile Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. In that race, she suddenly felt the elation, the unmistakable exhilaration, of running fast. “It was so fun to run down the boardwalk with everyone cheering,” she recalls. That fall, Lambert signed up for the Cross Country team, led then and now by Coach Ken Lampert, and she still remembers how tough it was at the first practice. “I came home and I really wanted to quit the team,” she recalls, only half-joking. Instead of quitting, she did the opposite. Step by step, mile by mile, she trained over the years, winning race after race to become the 2016 State Champion in Cross Country and, during the spring Track and Field season, the 2017 State Champion in the 3200 meter.

Coach Lampert, who has coached many who went on to run for Division 1 college teams during his decades as a three-season Cross Country/Winter and Spring Track and Field Coach at Norfolk Academy, puts it succinctly: “Julia is the best distance runner I have ever had.” Over the course of her career, she has won every single distance state championship event—the 1000, 1600, and 3200 indoors, and the 800, 1600, and 3200 outdoors, as well as the state cross country title. “She is willing to do things others are not willing to do,” Lampert said. “She works hard at it. She does not practice five days; she practices seven days, and she follows the race plan in a disciplined way.” That final point is a key for Lampert; he expects runners to follow his training regimen and stick to a plan on the day of the race, one that is designed to exploit the weaknesses of competitors. “The race doesn’t always go to the best runner; it goes to the smartest one,” Lampert said. Once he and Lambert agreed on a race plan, “Julia had the confidence to follow it,” he said, and on the rare occasions when a plan didn’t go well, she took mental notes and adjusted for the next race. For her training regimen, Julia has some things she depends on. While her shoes may vary—she favors Saucony continued on page 32

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A CONVERSATION WITH COACH MARY WERKHEISER MARY WERKHEISER has been coaching field

BELOW Left to right: Coaches Mary Werkheiser, Laura Gibson, and Catherine McCallum. Coach Werkheiser was named TCIS Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

hockey for more than three decades, and she’s still charging toward victory with as much passion as ever. She guided the Bulldogs to a state championship in 2014, 2016, and again this fall, as the Bulldogs capped an unbeaten season by defeating Trinity Episcopal 2–1.With a season record of 25–2, the 2017 team matched the trifecta achieved by the 2016 team, winning the TCIS regular season, tournament, and state championships. Multiple players have earned conference and state honors, and the team was ranked #2 in the nation among public and private schools. Coach Werkheiser was named TCIS Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017, an honor she has also won multiple other times. Q: What makes this team so spectacular? This team is one. They all have a common thread —love and passion for each other, for the sport, for the coaches. If ever there was a team that had harmony, it was this team. Q: What does a team learn from losing? They learn about the character of the team. Are they a team that learns from it and grows together, or will they place blame on one another? Failure is something they need more of… it is good to put them in uncomfortable situations. Q: What are some team traditions? I love that right before the season starts, they have a candlelight ceremony about what it means to play for NA. It is very sentimental! Q: Do you have any favorite coaching sayings? Sims (Assistant Coach Laura Simeca) says, “Winners want the ball.” You can’t win unless you have the ball in your stick; it means you can’t

Girls’ Varsity Field Hockey has won state championships in 2014, 2016, and 2017. This year’s team had an unbeaten season with 24 wins.

be afraid to win. I always say, “Play with heart.” So at the start of the season, they all get a felt heart with NA FH on it. And we had a t-shirt many years ago that said, “Werk harder.” Q: How do you foster great coaching collaboration? Coach McCallum is the best defensive coach I have ever worked with. She brings college-level coaching. Coach Gibson is an All-American. She brings the attacking part of the game. There is a joviality about her, a friendliness. Everyone wants to be like Gibson! And I am the glue around it. Q: What is one secret of coaching? Be willing to listen to criticism. In the early years, I got a lot of critiquing from (then Athletic Director) Dave Trickler. And some of it was hard to take, but what I got, helped me stay in the game. Q: What keeps your love of the sport? Time away! Now that my own kids are coaching, I enjoy watching them. When you have kids like NA kids, they are hard-working and the best kids around. It’s a privilege to coach them.

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continued from page 30 brand, although she used to wear Nike, and she has several pairs in rotation—one longtime accessory has not changed over the years: her lime green Garmin GPS watch. “I tend to be obsessed with my watch,” she admits with a laugh, “so sometimes I just have to take the watch off! The clock doesn’t lie. You know exactly how many seconds to drop.” She also has a motivator and running partner in her younger sister, Elle, a junior who is also a three-season runner for Norfolk Academy. They train together throughout the summer, typically rising early to avoid the heat, and Julia says that her sister’s focus on healthy eating has taught her a few lessons, even if she still allows herself steak and ice cream when she achieves a “PR”— runner’s shorthand for “personal record,” or a runner’s best time in an individual event. “They are unusual sisters,” said Lampert. “There appears to be no jealousy at all.” He said that when Elle recently finished ahead of Julia in the 800 meter run, Julia was genuinely happy for her, and both sisters demonstrate a commitment to the team and a sincere appreciation of other people’s efforts. As Julia heads to the College of William & Mary this fall, with plans to major in kinesiology and eventually become a physical therapist, the aspiration that motivated her in 1st grade —being “the fastest”—remains intact, and that, her coach predicts, will prove a huge boon for her college team. “Her goals are very much team-oriented,” he observes. “And she really likes competing.” ◆

A CONVERSATION WITH COACH MIKE DUQUETTE ’99 Coach Mike Duquette ’99, son of faculty members Susan and Tom Duquette, has a passion for tennis that was nurtured through his 12 years at Norfolk Academy and at University of Virginia, where he was captain of that Division 1 team. He won three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in national championship play and competed internationally for Team USA. He worked at Washington College before returning to Norfolk Academy eight years ago as a Middle School math teacher and tennis coach. He has led the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team to three consecutive Tidewater Conference (TCIS) championships and State (VISAA) championships in 2015, 2016, and again this fall; the team has won 47 consecutive victories. In spring 2017, the Boys’ Varsity Tennis Team won the TCIS (also in 2013 and 2015) and made it to State Finals, where the team lost to the Potomac School. Coach Duquette was named TCIS Coach of the Year and VISAA Coach of the Year in both 2016 and 2017. Q: The Girls’ Varsity Team has won back-to-back State Championships. What is the magic sauce for this team? Their ability on the court gives them confidence against any team, a bit of that confidence and swagger. They have great team traditions too: a team sleepover at the start of the season, team breakfasts, and they have special playlists and music that they play before matches. Of course, they are extremely competitive! They hate to lose.

Esther Diskin serves as Director of Communications and teaches English in the Upper School.

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Q: How do you talk about competition? Tennis is a long roller-coaster ride. There are so many small moments in a match; it’s about managing the ebb and flow. They have to stay level. You have to play your game, and as a coach, you have to give them a strategy. Q: In many ways, tennis is an individual sport. How do you give each player a strategy? For one player, you may have to get in their face and challenge them. Others need reassurance. You have about a minute on the changeover. In ten seconds of feedback, I can get a sense of how they are feeling and a sense of the match. You have to keep it simple.

Q: Your father has coached lacrosse for decades, and he earned VISAA Coach of the Year in this academic year. What is a lesson about coaching that you’ve picked up from him? It’s a certain style, more than a specific lesson. The relationships that he develops with the players, and the way that they stay in touch with him throughout their lives. Now, as my players graduate from college, I can see that I had an impact on them, as I hear from them. That is very rewarding.

Girls’ Varsity Tennis has won Tidewater Conference and state championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017. The team has a winning streak of 47 consecutive matches.

Q: What are some “mantras” that have meaning for you and the team? “Trust in your game, trust in your fitness.” The worst place you can be in a competition is when you start doubting your body’s ability to operate at the level required. You have to know what you do well and trust in what you do well. Another saying I like is “Control the things you can control.” You can’t control the sun, the wind, the calls. You do control your body, your mind, your shot selection and strategy. Q: You’ve coached the Girls’ Varsity Team with Eric Acra for seven years. Can you describe your coaching synergy? It is fun, really fun—and there is constant questioning. Eric will say, “I’m going to play devil’s advocate here.” As you hash things out, you come to a decision, and there’s no questioning of what you’ve decided. He is more of the “rah rah,” get the girls riled up and ready to go, and I’m more of the details and strategic side. We both are constantly involved in practices, and that builds trust; the girls know we care about them.

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Gatherings

2016–2017 Alumni Association Board

2017 Young Alumni Summer Social at The Shack in Virginia Beach

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2016 Young Alumni Socials held at The Cabanas and Waterman’s in Virginia Beach

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Gatherings

Interns and Sponsors of the Alumni Career Connection Program at the Annual Summer Internship Luncheon

Career Prep Day provided an excellent forum for college alumni to learn job hunting skills

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Alumni Care Package Parties are a fun way to reconnect with parents of college-age alumni

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Gatherings

Tim Seibles, Virginia’s Poet Laureate, visited as part of the Annual Alumni Spring Luncheon

Nicole Abiouness ’90 speaks about wine making at the Amazing Alumni Series, November 2016

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2016 Boston Reunion at Pier 6

Charlottesville Reunion with Headmaster Dennis Manning at The Colonnade Club, January 2017

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Gatherings

A fun-filled reunion was held at The Rattle Inn in Austin, Texas, January 2017

The Occidental Grill in D.C. was home to the Washington Area reception, February 2017

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Alumni of all ages gathered in NYC with Dennis and Beth Manning at RARE Bar & Grill, March 2017

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Gatherings

The Richmond Chapter enjoyed their annual spring gathering at Hardywood Brewery

Drew and Amy McKnight ’96 hosted a beautiful reunion at their San Francisco home, January 2017

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[ ALUMNI ]

October and May Reunions

’67

1967: The Class of ’67 celebrated their 50th Reunion at the home of BJ and Tim Taylor.

’72

1972: Members of the Class of ’72 gathered at the beautiful home of Beth and Rolf Williams.

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Reunions

’77

1977: Jane and Andy Cole once again hosted another memorable night for the Class of 1977. 44

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’82

1982: Brother Rutter’s Work Release on Granby Street in Norfolk was the location for the 35th Reunion for the Class of ’82.

’87

1987: The Class of ’87 celebrated their 30th Class Reunion at The Shack in Virginia Beach.

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Reunions

’92

1992: Members of the Mighty Class of ’92 enjoyed a reunion evening at Calliente Cantina in Virginia Beach.

’97

1997: Back Bay Brewing Company was the host for the Class of ’97 upon their 20th Reunion.

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’97

1997 (continued): The Class of ’97 has a great showing at their 20th Reunion!

’02

2002: The Class of 2002 enjoyed celebrating their 15th Reunion at a local favorite, Chicks Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach.

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Reunions

’07

2007: The Class of 2007 celebrated their 10th Class Reunion in style at The Barrel Room on Granby Street in Norfolk.

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’12

2012: Young alums from the Class of 2012 enjoyed catching up with classmates and friends at their 5th Class Reunion held at Smartmouth Brewery in Norfolk.

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parting SHOT

“Always look for the good in a child.” —James B. Massey, Jr., Headmaster, 1950–1978

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