FALL 2023
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THE ART OF CREATION By: Bryan Geary In the spring issue of The Compass, Tilton announced the emergence of a new program aimed at expanding and invigorating programs and possibilities in the arts: The Remy Steevensz Artist-in-Residence Program. Rooted in deep appreciation for a cherished faculty member’s contributions to art education and experience on the Hill, the program is meant to (among a vast and growing list of objectives) establish connections with the broader artistic community, expose students to the ways in which art can be a career or educational pathway, and to expand opportunities for participation on campus. We sat down with faculty members Tyler Goodwin and Terri Smith to chat about their role in building the program and implementing exciting possibilities for their students.
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The Compass (TC): What is your overarching philosophy for the Artist-in-Residence Program? Terri Smith (TS): I’ve been working on the public arts piece and asking myself how we can implement a variety of things. One, we want to bring in artists who are professionals in their field, making a living, and doing great things. How can we, through those relationships and projects on campus, show students that you can make a living in the arts? And then, how can we collaborate with these artists to create public art that our community can enjoy? We’re trying not to limit our thinking when it comes to the idea of “public art.” The end result may be an installation in a public space, or maybe it’s a visiting artist who runs a workshop for interested students. The ultimate goal is to create something that the community can enjoy.
Tyler Goodwin (TG): And how do we bring all of that together under the umbrella of an “Artistin-Residence?” Whether there is a person actually sleeping in the Mansion, as a temporary member of our community, or if they’re driving up from Concord, the idea is to intertwine artists into our community for an extended period of time. It’s really advantageous that we have the opportunity to approach this in a variety of ways. TS: It’s about leveraging some of the relationships and access we already have in a way that allows these partnerships to flourish. Whether that’s bringing artists into our school or bringing students out into the community, we want to make sure that we’re taking advantage of the fact that many of these opportunities are a 15-minute drive for Tilton students, whereas many other peer schools would be driving 45 minutes or more.
“Having these conversations is helping us expand our idea of what is possible. When we start combining our ideas with the experience of people who have done this many times, we can really build something special.” 4 | The Compass: Fall 2023
Terri Smith, Arts Faculty
performers from around the world but would love to have access to facilities like ours.
TC: How have you approached trying to facilitate these opportunities so far? TG: One way is thinking about reaching out to state colleges and universities, which actually helped facilitate one of our first musical experiences: bringing the ChoHandelsman Duo to the Mansion to perform during our MacMorran Scholars ceremony this fall. One member of the duo is a professor of music at the University of New Hampshire. So whether it’s tapping into their knowledge and teaching experience or getting connected with a recent graduate who may be interested in coming to campus as an intern, we want to be connected with these institutions. Another avenue is just getting out into the community and meeting new people. We’re still working with potential partners, but one of the things we’ve found is that our large performing spaces — the Chapel, Hamilton, the Amphitheatre — are exciting to members of the music community in New Hampshire. They may already have connections with ensembles or
TS: Just getting to know different organizations, like the New Hampshire Art Association, and having these conversations is helping us expand our idea of what is possible. When we start combining our ideas with the experience of people who have done this many times, and on a larger scale, we can really build something special. I had already been trying to build a public arts program through the Afternoon Arts — so getting to take the last two or three years of work and use that as a launching point has been so cool. TC: We’ve had a few events associated with the Artist-inResidence Program already this fall — what have been your takeaways? TG: It’s been challenging but energizing in the way it fits in with the Mansion renovation and what we’re going to have with the gallery space and this whole renaissance of Tilton. I thought the performance with the Cho-Handelsman Duo went really well, and my favorite part was that it was a totally different experience for our students. Having it in the Mansion was a great moment. Many of the kids either haven’t seen it at all or haven’t used the space since the renovations. I can’t think of a time that the space has felt more alive or utilized for its grandeur. TS: It was wonderful that the duo wasn’t just performing. They were The Compass: Fall 2023 | 5
talking to the kids and teaching at the same time — giving context and history for the pieces they were playing — which helped the students and faculty who were in attendance to connect to what they were hearing. I loved being there. It was almost like a very intimate musical storytime. TG: We also went to the Cake Theatre in Laconia to watch Recycled Percussion. Getting our students
“We’re the only school that actually got to experience the show at their home theatre. It was just an awesome opportunity to leverage our location.” Tyler Goodwin, Arts Faculty
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to experience the idea of following a creative thread and not just performing music off of a sheet was cool for them to see. It was also a great experience to have the whole campus go there and do it together; they [Recycled Percussion] usually travel around the country and go to schools to perform. We’re the only school that actually got to experience the show at their home theatre. It was just an awesome opportunity to leverage our location. TC: How are you feeling about the next steps? TG: I think you can hear that we’re still practically spitballing about what this can be. It can be daunting, but we’re working together to wrap our heads around what this can be and it’s really exciting. TS: There’s a lot of opportunity. We really want the arts to grow here and we want it to provide growth for our students. It’s great to be a part of crafting a new program that will impact Tilton well beyond this year!
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ABOVE & BEYOND By: Eliza Smith
In honor of Kendall “Dids” Didsbury ’67, a devoted alum and longtime faculty member, Tilton proudly awarded the first annual Kendall P. Didsbury Prize this fall to Eliza Smith. Given in recognition of his love for and devotion to his colleagues, this award recognizes “the faculty or staff member who has gone above and beyond in support of their colleagues.” Here, Smith offers a reflection on receiving the award and what has characterized her time as a faculty member on the Hill.
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When I arrived at Tilton in the fall of 2016, after spending six years at my alma mater, I was excited to venture into the boarding school world and experience something new. While I had always formed strong relationships with my students, being at Tilton took it to a whole new level. Conversations I was used to having around the edges of my classes and team practices were now able to occur on evenings and weekends too. My students became more complete people which heightened the importance of being a role model and support for them. However, living and working in the same place came with both highs and lows and, after saying “yes” to way too many things in my first year, I am thankful for colleagues who helped me learn the importance of balance. I was encouraged to pursue open positions that allowed me to grow as an educator in and out of the classroom. This is something that makes our Tilton faculty special: We are each other’s strongest supporters when it comes to a new opportunity to expand ourselves and push our community further.
“We say all the time that at Tilton, ‘the people make the place.’ I believe this wholeheartedly. We are a campus of passionate teachers who will not stop pushing for our students and their successes.” Eliza Smith, Mathematics Faculty, Director of Grade Level Programming, 9th Grade Coordinator
One of my favorite roles on campus is as the Director of Grade Level Programming because with it comes the opportunity to work with all of the faculty in the Student Experience Block. Being able to design new programming based on feedback from students and faculty, collaborating with colleagues to fine-tune the activities, and then implementing them for our students pushes me every day to be more creative and a stronger communicator. With these being two of Tilton’s Essential Skills, it is important to me that I continue to model for our students what it takes to be a lifelong learner.
Whether it is trying something new in our classrooms, attending a conference to gain new perspectives, or actively seeking feedback from others, Tilton’s faculty is consistently working hard to raise our standard for our students. We say all the time that at Tilton, “the people make the place.” I believe this wholeheartedly. We are a campus of passionate teachers who will not stop pushing for our students and their successes. I am honored to be the 2023 recipient of the Kendall P. Didsbury Prize as it recognizes my collaborative efforts with my colleagues and serves as a testament to my leadership on campus.
This is something I see my colleagues doing on a daily basis as well. The Compass: Fall 2023 | 9
AMAZING RACE: MATH EDITION By: Lauren Robinson
Running around campus with your “Half the task was physical or mental, best friend? This doesn’t sound something random that they had to like your typical math class. That is do,” says Compton. “Then the other exactly what math faculty member half of it was here’s a [math] problem, Rachel Compton hoped for when see if you can answer it.” she implemented a new experience The various problems stretched in her AP Statistics class. Coming across all the material they’d covered off of strenuous AP exam prep, she during the year. Combined with wanted to do an activity that was “math-adjacent” tasks like making enjoyable and meaningful for her free throw shots in the gym, beating students. That’s when it hit her: “The the dealer (Mrs. McCandless) in Amazing Race” Math Edition. blackjack, ladder ball, and completing Drawing from her own high school brain games like sudoku and word math experiences, it was a chance, searches, Compton felt all the she says, to tackle course materials while changing the atmosphere and how the students processed their knowledge. “They could be goofy and silly and run around campus with somebody they’re comfortable with,” reflects Compton.
True to our essential skill of play, Compton notes that math in the real world The first week was spent watching a few episodes of “The Amazing Race” doesn’t always to get students familiar with the involve staring at a concept. Their activity would include a variety of tasks and math problems dry-erase board. that took them out of the classroom and into action around campus.
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students had their chance to show their strengths and work around subject matter that was still challenging for them. True to our essential skill of play, Compton notes that math in the real world doesn’t always involve staring in concert at a dry-erase board. This experiment not only demonstrated a year’s worth of knowledge in an unconventional way, it provided an opportunity for her students to take risks with that expertise in a lowstakes environment.
line out of sight from the remaining groups. As cheesy as it sounds, she wanted to preserve the thought of victory all the way to the finish line as a reminder that their buy-in and willingness to engage was a major win for the whole class.
Thinking back to the first edition of Tilton’s Amazing Race: Math edition, Compton recalls seeing the eventual winners come in ahead of the rest of the class. Not wanting to spoil the race, they all hid near the finish The Compass: Fall 2023 | 11
THE GRAND RE-OPENING OF EAST KNOWLES
“We understand that lives, like buildings, can also be transformed. All it takes is the right design, a solid foundation, and a willingness to build something beautiful from the ground up.” John Shaughnessy, Board of Trustees Chair 12 | The Compass: Fall 2023
Scan for a video of the festivities!
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COMMUNITY LIFE CORNER
CHANGING THE CULTURE AROUND SELF-DEFENSE By: Lauren Robinson
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Self-defense is a tool normally expressed when faced with danger. Though, that’s not what comes to mind for self-denfense instructor John Guarnieri. His mission is for people to be prepared, not paranoid, when it comes to self-defense and this year he’s partnering with Tilton School to teach students skills they can use in real-life scenarios. Starting with the basics, kids are learning how to block blows, escape tricky situations, and manipulate peoples’ positions. Guarnieri first demonstrates the skill and then asks students to perform it on him. Once they have mastered the move, it’s added to their repertoire. “Having a professional that can equip them with the right skills — while also dispelling any urban myths — is hugely beneficial, especially at this time in their lives,” says Assistant Dean of Community Standards Stephanie Walterscheid, who also has a background in law enforcement.
“Many of our students are international or away from home for the first time in their lives, and they’re not fully prepared for the world outside the small communities where they’ve grown up,” says Walterscheid, who describes the course as beneficial for anyone who wants to feel more prepared to navigate the world around them. “We spend a lot of time with our faces in our phones and it’s important to look up at our surroundings.” Despite asking the students to be active in assessing experiences that could be intimidating, her goal in offering this optional program is to empower them to be confident and sharp in any situation. “The point is not to scare students into being more cautious,” she says. “There are enough random TikTok videos that already do that.”
“Having a professional that can equip them with the right skills — while also dispelling any urban myths — is hugely beneficial, “It doesn’t have to be textbook,” says especially at this Guarnieri as a student performs a time in their lives.” move in an unorthodox, yet effective, Each week, students learn new moves and are expected to combine them with what they’ve learned previously to simulate real-life scenarios. A series may start with an escape, lead into a block, and end with uppercut punches. Guarnieri explains that attacks are never organized so preparing in this way can help with the unknown .
manner. He shows them variations of skills so that they can choose whichever feels natural to them.
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BEYOND THE HILL By: Lauren Robinson
Merely three months into their time on the Hill, Tilton’s new College Counseling team is working to leave its mark on each student. “College counseling is an important resource because it’s teaching you more about what you want your life to look like,” says Assistant Director of College Counseling Michaela Thomas. “College is great preparation for years to come, but I also feel that the choices students and families are making should be career-driven.” The goal is for students to find themselves, first and foremost. By using that core objective as guidance, students will find more success in
assessing the type of school they want to attend and the future they want to pursue. Thomas and fellow Assistant Director of College Counseling Andrea Johnstone bring diverse backgrounds and 32 years of combined experience with them to their new roles. Thomas, whose philosophy is grounded in both college and career prep, explains the department’s mission is to emphasize higher education but not overshadow other post-graduation opportunities. Whether kids want to attend college, enter a trade, or play a professional sport, Thomas and Johnstone are prepared to assist everyone.
“Sometimes we get really caught up on the name that goes on the back of a car. It’s important for kids to choose a place where they feel at home.” Michaela Thomas Assistant Director of College Counseling
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“We’ve been supporting students in proposed direction. The presentation, this process, meeting them where and the process, is crucial because it they are, and getting them up to teaches students the future isn’t as speed to be able to put together a overwhelming if you plan ahead. good application for the fall,” says The ultimate goal, regardless of what Johnstone. “At the same time, we’re is next, is for each student to “love working to enhance our 9th, 10th, and 11th grade programs to facilitate their list.” the entire student journey.” “Sometimes we get really caught up on the name that goes on the back Part of this journey is helping of a car,” says Thomas. “It’s important students articulate their future for kids to choose a place or a path plans, to those who are invested in where they feel at home.” their success. Keeping with Tilton tradition, Johnstone and Thomas helped seniors showcase this outline during Post-Tilton Defense presentations this October. The content for this milestone includes schools on their radar, assessing their progress on college applications, and how their college essay is coming along. Alternatively, if college isn’t on their radar, those students have a chance to express how they came to that decision and discuss their The Compass: Fall 2023 | 19
THE FIRST CALL Rejuvenating Tilton’s Advisory Program By: Bryan Geary
Advisory is a staple of boarding school culture. For students living away from home and families entrusting an institution with the well-being of their loved ones, a student’s advisor is often more than just a friendly face on campus.
Connor Compton. Ahead of the 2023-24 academic year, Johnson and Compton added Co-Advisory Coordinator to their already extensive roles on campus with the goal of impacting students, faculty, and families.
“We both see advisory as a place to drive culture,” says Assistant Dean for Student Support and Assistant Director of Athletics Emily Johnson, on behalf of herself and Social Sciences faculty member
“Having a great approach to Advisory is important in helping our teachers, coaches, and community members — who have a lot going on in their lives — not feel like they’re alone in this work,” says Compton, who
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(along with Johnson) also coaches lacrosse and hockey. “It’s important to have a collective message about why Advisory is important and what our students deserve to get out of the experience.” To that end, the duo worked with incoming Dean of Community Life David Suarez over the summer to institute a new curriculum that would help guide weekly Advisory sessions. Their goal is to establish best practices and protocols for assessing progress and establishing community values over the course of the year. “When we started our work in August, he [Suarez] had found Habitudes, which provides an intentional framework for social and emotional learning that can be broken into 20-minute lessons,” says Compton. The goal, they both say,
Andrew McPeak, Vice President of Content for Growing Leaders and author of Ready for Real Life, spoke to faculty members about implementing Habitudes this August. was to find something that would provide additional structure and be a sustainable way of building the Advisory program over the course of several years. Not only can Habitudes, which was developed by the group Growing Leaders, be customized to fit Tilton and its unique community, but the program can be extrapolated out to a fouryear experience. This means that students who arrive as 9th graders get an Advisory that builds on their learning and helps guide them through their entire time on the Hill.
“Advisory is about belonging, and the main role of an advisor is to make sure that students feel like they have a group outside of This progression, says Compton, not their dorm, their only elevates the program, but it also team, or their class; helps create a healthy environment of accountability for all parties. “We it’s like a mini know all the touch points, so if a student is struggling or they’ve been family.” Connor Compton, Social Sciences Faculty
away, we have the tools to make sure
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it gets covered. At the end of the day, Johnson’s Advisory group, which Advisory is about belonging, and the is made up of all female students main role of an advisor is to make who also participate in athletics, sure that students feel like they offers her an opportunity to take have a group outside of their dorm, the pre-established curriculum their team, or their class; it’s like a and personalize it for the students mini family.” she’s gotten to know so well. She and Compton led a workshop “Teams change, activities change, at the beginning of the year that classes ebb and flow,” agrees encouraged this approach. Johnson. “Advisors remain the one constant point of contact.” “We want our advisors to dig deep into their own personal toolbox,” says In thinking about how the Compton. “Personalizing the lessons overarching program affects the not only strengthens relationships community, Johnson also reflects with students but also gives them an that they are delivering a similar opportunity to engage further and message to the students. “The lesson see the social-emotional skills we’re doing tomorrow is called in practice.” ‘Emotional Fuel’,” she says. The lesson is one of 13 her group will cover At the end of the day, they say, it all over the course of the year as part comes back to being authentic. of the Habitudes program, which “No matter how much we use uses imagery and relatable stories Habitudes,” says Compton, “we need to drive leadership development. to be genuine to Tilton. We want “How do you fuel your tank and how our culture to be one of belonging, do other people fuel yours? I think where students feel like they have the biggest thing I’ve tried to drive ownership over the experience.” home with my group is for them to be mindful about how their actions affect others.”
“I think the biggest thing I’ve tried to drive home with my group is for them to be mindful about how their actions affect others.” Emily Johnson Assistant Dean for Student Support Assistant Athletic Director
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ALUMNI WEEKEND JUNE 14-15, 2024 Mark your calendars for this year’s Alumni Weekend on June 14 and 15! Reunite with classmates, compete in our 3rd Annual Tilton Alumni Weekend Golf Tournament (last year sold out!), celebrate with local brewery tours, enjoy the Honored Reunion Dinner (for all alums celebrating 50 years), and many new experiences to come. Overnight dorm rooms will be available! Be on the lookout for a Save the Date in the mail — info will be posted at the link to the left as it becomes available.
THE TILTON FUND YEAR END GIVING Your gifts to The Tilton Fund have great power. In addition to helping students on the Hill today, your support also contributes to the betterment of our community for years to come. If you haven’t made your gift yet, please consider doing so before the end of the calendar year. Scan the QR code to support Tilton today — we accept Apple Pay, Venmo, and PayPal!
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