wooster news 2011
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2011
NEW
S
What Makes a Wooster education
UniqUe
Best BUddies
Progress at ProsPect
the Best PossiBle start
dr. donaldseifert ’51
reMeMBering John Verdery
Wooster NEWS 2011a publication of Wooster school
Headmaster
timothy B. golding
Contributors
Justine Bryar
richard cass
tad Jacks
Matthew levy ’12
William street ’80
don Wade
Alumni Notes
Justine Bryar
Design
good design, llc
www.gooddesignusa.com
Photography
chip riegel
roseMarie Wallace
Proofreader
nina Maynard
Send letters, alumni news or
address corrections to:
Justine BryarWooster school
91 Miry Brook road
danbury, ct 06810 u.s.a.
Justine.Bryar@woosterschool.org
203-830-3000www.woosterschool.org
On the cover:
Monica dahlgren ’12
goalie on this year’s
hVal championship team.
64
2011
NEW
S
can you identify this picture?
Please email Justine Bryar at
Justine.Bryar@woosterschool.org
and receive a gift from the
Wooster general store.
2011 1
2011
NEW
S
TablE of contents 2 from ThE hEadmaSTEr
4 dr. doNald m. SEifErT ’51: a lEgacy of giviNg back
6 rEmEmbEriNg JohN vErdEry Through JoaN TaiT’S EyE
10 ThrEE viEWS~ WhaT makES a WooSTEr EducaTioN uNiquE
16 bEST buddiES aNd ThE WooSTEr TradiTioN
18 ProgrESS aT ThE ProSPEcT School aT WooSTEr
20 gETTiNg kidS off To ThE bEST PoSSiblE STarT
22 acroSS ThE Bridge 22 The Magic of Robotics 24 Why Sports Matter 28 The Wonders of Art 30 Wooster Drama Presents… 31 Wooster’s NEASC Accreditation 31 After Wooster: College Matriculation 32 Faculty Kudos
34 claSS Notes
1816 20
10
Wooster NEWS2
e x P a n d i n g
Our Horizons
“We ask ourselves: What
brings outstanding
teachers to our
campus? What should
we be teaching?”
this is our fundamental
mission and my
obligation to our
students and parents.
from
ThE
hea
dm
as
ter
2011 3
School intended for students ages 7–14 with language-based learning disabilities. We acquired the former Maimonides Academy building in 2010 and have begun this program at that facility. For those alumni who may come back on campus, I invite you to visit these two important additions to Wooster School. This year we are involved in our self study as part of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) reaccreditation process. You will read more about this time of reflection and review of our School on page 31. We also completed the first step in determining an educational roadmap for the ever-changing curriculum of our school. You will hear more about this in the coming months. When I think about Wooster School at this time of year, I am reminded daily of the word Generous in our School Prayer. I am surrounded by people who give generously of their time to educate the young people in our care. I am also reminded of generosity when I review those individuals who have made voluntary gifts to this school. For your information, a Report of Giving is included in this Wooster News.
Sincerely,
Timothy B. Golding, Headmaster
oVer the last seVeral months since the Great Class of 2011 has gone off to their next educational endeavors, our campus has been busy with a variety of new projects and initiatives. Each academic year gives us new challenges. One of them is acclimating and supporting our newest members of the Wooster faculty and staff who are responsible for the young people in our care. Bringing the best administrators and teachers to our campus is my top priority in any year. As I have said in another issue of Wooster News, “We ask ourselves: What brings outstanding teachers to our campus? What should we be teaching?” This is our fundamental mission and my obligation to our students and parents. In this issue of Wooster News, we have focused on a number of topics relevant to this school year. As Headmaster, one of my annual projects is to set the theme for the year; for 2011–2012 our theme is Expanding
Our Horizons. I direct you to the Wooster School website (www.woosterschool.org) and my annual Convocation speech. Two major initiatives have begun this year. We have added to our educational offerings a new entry level: the three-year-olds. We have reconfigured Wellington (formerly East Cottage) to include this age group and our pre-kindergarten program. In addition, we have begun The Prospect School at Wooster. This is a new division of Wooster
i am surrounded by
people who give
generously of their time
to educate the young
people in our care.
Wooster NEWS4
dr. donald m. seifert ’51A Legacy of Giving Back
2011 5
one day, when he was 14 years old,
dr. donald m. seifert had an experience that would change his life and, ultimately, the lives of generations of Wooster School students. “I had finished my first year at Bethel (Conn.) High School and my father and I went to Wooster to see my brother, who was a student here,” he recalls. “The Rev. John D. Verdery, who was the wonderful Headmaster, asked my father why I wasn’t attending Wooster as well and he encouraged my father to have me enroll. I didn’t learn until I was 35 that my parents couldn’t afford to send both my brother and I so I went to Wooster School as a scholarship student.” Verdery and Wooster School had a profound impact on Dr. Seifert, who would receive his undergraduate degree from Brown University, his DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) from Harvard, and training in maxillofacial surgery at New York Cornell Hospital. “Of all the schools I attended, Wooster had the greatest beneficial influence in my life,” he explains. “It was seminal in whatever I did. The combination of values was unique. The importance of service, of helping others, and respect for people was something I learned at Wooster and I hope it has stayed with me throughout my life.” “Just as today, Wooster had a wonderful facility that created a remarkable atmosphere to learn. Verdery set the standards. It really was like the novel, Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Wooster was interested in promoting intellectual excellence. Lists would be posted so everyone knew what your academic average was. That pursuit of excellence is true today.” Much to his surprise, Dr. Seifert, 78, was the valedictorian of his senior class.
“I always thought the other guys were smarter,” he says, laughing gently. Dr. Seifert’s surgical practice and his long, pro bono efforts to establish a Department of Dentistry at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J., where he lives with his wife, Lynn, limited the amount of time and energy he could devote to Wooster School to the occasional Reunion. But a meeting with Headmaster Tim Golding changed all that. “Learning Tim’s vision for the School and meeting some of the faculty and students convinced me that Wooster had remained true to everything I thought was important about it,” Dr. Seifert said. “I thought about making a contribution and talked it over with my wife and she said, ‘why don’t you just do it?’” And so he did. The “Dr. Donald Seifert ’51 and Mrs. Lynn Seifert Angel Endowment” provides a generous and steady source of financial aid for students who might not otherwise be able to attend Wooster School. “If I was Warren Buffett, I’d have given a lot more,” he adds. “Wooster School is that important.”
tim golding
reflects on
dr. seifert and
the class of ’61
i believe dr. donald M.
seifert personifies the
words in our school
prayer that encourages
our students to be
“gentle, generous,
truthful, kind and
brave.” his has been
a life well-lived as an
outstanding and caring
doctor, husband and
of a person who is a
greater embodiment
of a Wooster school
graduate or an example
of the students we
would like to produce
now and into the
future. he is our ideal.
in 2011, we
celebrated the 50th
anniversary of the
graduation of the
class of 1961. Wooster
school was a different
place back then and
the changes from an
all-male boarding
school to where we are
today were not always
easy for alumni to
accept. But when the
class of ’61 came back
for their reunion in May,
its members realized
that while the school
had changed, our core
values had not—not in
the least. they resolved
to come together as a
class to do something
important for Wooster.
to that end, they have
made a significant
contribution to the
faculty development
fund in honor of the
outstanding teachers
they remembered and
with the hope that
their efforts would help
maintain our tradition
of teaching excellence.
We give thanks.
father. he is totally
self-effacing and
modest. My greatest
fear is that my words
might embarrass him.
Witness that while his
gifts to Wooster over
the years, most recently
to the angel Fund that
will sustain students
through financial aid,
have been generous,
he resolutely wishes
not to take credit for
doing what comes so
naturally to him when it
comes to this place that
he loves.
When i think of
dr. seifert, as i often
do, i cannot think
Wooster NEWS6
JohN vErdEry
through Joan Tait’s Eye
Tim goldiNg | Joan Tait is with us this afternoon in the John Verdery Library. It is appropriate that we are in the John Verdery Library because Joan Tait was the secretary to John Verdery from 1970 to 76. With that as an introduction, I would like to congratulate you on Evan Gilchrist’s graduation this year—your grandson. I would like to start by simply asking you how did you get the job of working for John Verdery and what were your duties?
Joan tait | We have to start with my son, Kim Gilchrist, who was already a student here in 1968. At the graduation of the class of 1970 I came to Commencement to be with him, and John Verdery, who was conducting the day, mentioned that one of the people who was leaving was his secretary. As soon as I heard that, I thought of nothing else except the fact that I would speak with John
Verdery after the service and ask him if he were taking applications. If so, I would like to do that. So I did. And I began working in the fall of 1970.
Tg | Many have said that John was a formidable personality.
Jt | I would say that he was a tremendously charismatic person. And he was always very connected with whomever he was talking. He was always very friendly. He would always smile and twinkle at you. I asked my daughter, who was in the class of ’74, how she remembered him, and she said “He was so personable and so nice to everybody. He wasn’t stuffy at all.” I thought that was a pretty good description. Our offices, by the way, were in the New Building and the Headmaster’s office was right there before you came to the Library on the right. When classes changed, he would
JoaN TaiT WaS ThE loNgTimE
SEcrETary To ThE hEadmaSTEr
aNd aN EyEWiTNESS To aN
imPorTaNT Era iN WooSTEr
School hiSTory. ShE SaT
doWN WiTh hEadmaSTEr
Tim goldiNg To SharE hEr
mEmoriES aNd PErcEPTioNS.
remembering
2011 7
stand in the doorway of his office and greet the kids as they came by, patting this one on the shoulder, “Hello, how are you?” or “Good game yesterday.” And I would see him doing this every morning as the classes went through. He was really wonderful.
Tg | Talk to me a little bit about John Verdery’s relationship with the boys—did he do personal counseling with the boarders at his house, in his office, by walking around, or all of the above?
Jt | I would say all of the above and even out there on the benches of the athletic fields when the games were going on. He would find the youngster he wanted to talk to, and sometimes take him aside privately. He generally spread himself around wherever the students were, to be available to them—to find out what was going on in their lives. Kids loved to chat with him.
Tg | Was it true that he had a favorite pipe?
Jt | Oh, absolutely. He always had that and it was in and out of his mouth. It was part of his persona. He had a little theater about him as well. He did know how to make a point dramatically. He would gesture with the pipe, smiling or laughing in a particular way, or telling a joke. He loved stories and he had a very good sense of humor. He used humor a lot in his relations with people. He was trusted by everyone—boys, girls and me, too. Do you want to hear a story? I opened all the mail at the School and distributed it every morning. I opened a letter and sure enough there was a check in it—a big check. So, knowing John’s interest in fund-raising and all that, I told him ‘I have a very nice check here—$75.00.’ “Oh, let me see it.” He looked at it and said, “Joan, it’s for $75,000.” I think in the early ’70s. It was one of those moments that did not happen very often. The donor was not well known to John at all. I think it was a bequest. The story goes, as I remember it, this gentleman was drawing up his will and didn’t have any particular family to give any
money to. He had heard of Wooster, but had never visited and he, I guess, thought “I’ll give it to them.” It was completely unexpected.
Tg | I have seen in the files a number of letters, correspondence that John hand wrote. As his secretary, how much did you type or did he do most of it in longhand?
Jt | Yes, he would send them to me, and I would type them out and post them. He regularly wrote letters to each of the graduating seniors in his own hand and they were a short view and long view of how that student had been in the School—how the whole experience had been. And they were wonderful letters. He was a supremely good letter-writer. He loved to write, really. I think that’s why so many things he wrote.
Tg | How many seniors was he writing to in those days?
Jt | Wasn’t it 44 this year? That’s a very high number. I don’t think we ever had 44 that I remember. I would say it was usually less than that. He enjoyed thinking about the progress young kids had made in their years at school. He was very close to the students and to the senior class. I’ll mention a story here because it was one of the most outstanding saving of souls I’ve ever seen in the School. A young man named Chris Spaccarotella came into school as a sophomore, I think. His father was in the Army in Vietnam, and whenever he was in the States, he would come in to talk with John Verdery. He was always in full dress uniform, lots of ribbons and he was always very quiet spoken and he always paid his bills in person in the Business Office. His wife had committed suicide several months before Chris came to school. And he had to go back to Vietnam with the Army. This boy had been through a tragedy with his mother, and then his father disappeared over the horizon quite frequently. He came to Wooster and just stuck it out—he was very quiet. He put his head down, did his work, and in his senior year, he was Senior Prefect here. The father survived
“WhEN claSSES
chaNgEd, hE
Would STaNd iN
ThE doorWay of
hiS officE aNd
grEET ThE kidS
aS ThEy camE by,
PaTTiNg ThiS oNE
oN ThE ShouldEr,
‘hEllo, hoW arE
you?’ or ‘good
gamE yESTErday.’”
Wooster NEWS8
the Vietnam War and his whole experience here was very good. I think John Verdery had a very strong role in bringing that boy through such trying circumstances.
Tg | A number of people I talk to in my travels talk about the personal contact, the extra mile that John Verdery went to in order to make that school experience a positive one was extraordinary. You could fill a library.
Jt | He had wonderful help from his senior faculty—there was Joe Grover, Donald Schwartz, Korb Eynon, Jules Arnold, John Cheeseman and Jim Hammer, who year after year were very close to the students. John had a very trusting relationship with his faculty and trustees. The communication was very good. So, without having to be there every moment, he relied on his senior faculty, who could tell him what was going on and he could focus on it, even more than the one-on-one with the students.
Tg | One of the things I wrote in my summer letter this year was about the amount of involvement parents have in their children’s lives—as in a little too much; interfering with the teacher/student relationship. I was wondering if you could comment on the parents of your era at Wooster. Were the parents involved?—I know many of them were far away because of the boarding situation. Were the parent relationships with the boarding students different than those of the day students?
Jt | Well, John Verdery liked to keep his distance from the parents unless he was compelled to meet with them or write them a letter. Not a lot of distance, but a little so the School magic took hold. He did write to the parents about their students so they could feel in touch. He never had a PTA here or a parent council or things of that order. He welcomed them when they came and was charming to them, but he did not encourage them to be in an active participatory way on campus. He believed in day students in small doses. However, as the girls came—I
think this was in 1968 or 69—he found that the parents of the girls were a little more inquisitive and curious because they knew this had been a boys’ boarding school. However, it didn’t mean that parents became active in school. They came to games and they came if a play was put on, but they didn’t take an active part in our school affairs. And I think he liked it that way. Another reason that John was skeptical about having too many day students was that he felt that it would become sort of a hybrid school. That he would lose the support of the alumni, who all had been boarders. And I think was worried that we would reach a sort of financial crunch—public relations with them was something
he didn’t like to think about. He had some favorite sayings he used to pull out from time to time. One was that the cost of boarding school—Wooster School—used to be about the cost of a mid-size Chevrolet. That was one of his analogies. When my two kids were here I think it was something like $3000, and it was about $4000 by the time they graduated. They were day school students and, believe me, I welcomed that. I didn’t make any special arrangements because I worked here. We paid full freight because we could do it. It seemed the right thing to do. Another saying he had was that you have to beware people with charm. And I could see that it was one of his own great gifts that he had come through his life aware that it could also be very dangerous. You have to be wary of charming people. It was somewhat self-deprecating, but you knew he was aware of it.
secretaries (top to
bottom, l to r): eunice
grover, Mary demetrius,
naomi emmons, Joan
tait, gloria Pappas,
eleanor clark, Betsy
lopato, ethel hunt,
helen sayers
2011 9
Tg | Did he control his schedule or did you control his schedule?
Jt | We did it together. I would try to arrange what he wanted. There was a lot of telephoning to be done. He had a very busy schedule and he liked to keep in touch with a lot of people all the time, particularly the trustees. He also knew a lot of other headmasters in this area and also around the country. He stayed busy keeping up with his contacts and keeping up to date on what was going on in boarding schools and day schools. He was up on it all. He kept in good touch with people. So he was busy.
Tg | The question of fund-raising comes up a lot and I’ve read the book Dear Chris, which John wrote about fund-raising. I even know a little bit about who Chris is. Did you ever watch John Verdery’s fund-raising in action?
Jt | Indeed I did. On Parents’ Day or Alumni Day or even just as he talked about it offhand, in a private way, it was very much on his mind all the time. When he built his Board of Trustees, I’m sure money was part of what he had to consider—whether or not they would be a generous board. He had a great talent for selecting people—people who were not only generous, but also who were people of power in their lives.
Tg | I’ve read the list of board members he had and they come from the captains of industry, law firms—it was extraordinary. Suzanne Verdery—where does she fit into this whole puzzle?
Jt | Well, she was a lady who had an absolute, total talent for giving wonderful meals, entertainment and kindness to everyone. I never knew her to be difficult. She gave lovely parties that she and John would host together. She had a Cordon Bleu cooking background and put on just beautiful food. They were both extremely gracious as a host and hostess. The same was true in France.
They had two houses in France—side by side in Roussillon. One was for all the guests who came to see them—everyone wanted to come to see the Verderys because they would have a wonderful time.
Tg | How did John find privacy in a boarding school—moments for himself for recovery time? Since he was on 24-7, where did he get those moments of solitude?
Jt | I think he had fewer of them than most people nowadays. He was so committed to the School and its life, he didn’t complain about not having a lot of time. However, he did find great pleasure in being a host, especially going off to France. What I remember recreationally, if he was angry or had a lot on his mind, he would go out and chop wood. He was very good at splitting wood.
Tg | I wanted to get your parting thoughts since your grandson, Evan, graduated in June; do you feel as though you have come full circle?
Jt | Yes, it’s the end of an era, really, for me. I’ve been very close to Wooster during so many phases of my life and my kids’ lives, and my grandchildren’s lives. For him to be coming to the end of his school years here was pretty important to me. I’m glad that he survived because he had a pretty shaky time earlier on. I was definitely thrilled when you announced that he won the Eugenia Coburn Prize. That was simply wonderful.
Tg | Joan it has been a pleasure. Your memory is impeccable and we thank you for sharing all of this information.
Jt | Thank you very much. It was a superb set of years in my life and I’m just very grateful for the honor of working for him and to be associated with this school.
Tg | Wooster is extremely fortunate to have had you.
“JohN vErdEry
likEd To kEEP hiS
diSTaNcE from ThE
ParENTS uNlESS hE
WaS comPEllEd To
mEET WiTh ThEm
or WriTE ThEm a
lETTEr. NoT a loT
of diSTaNcE, buT
a liTTlE So ThE
School magic
Took hold.”
Wooster NEWS10
Three Views~What Makes a Wooster education UniqUe
selF
-hel
P th
ru t
he
dec
ad
es “We believe that the boy should bear the laboring oar. this is a school
of hard work. not only are the studies hard but the school has from the
beginning been a school of “self help.” that is, all the boys without exception
perform the “jobs” of the school, such as waiting on table, washing dishes,
taking care of rooms, sweeping halls, removing ashes, etc. it is almost true
to say that anything that a boy gets here, whether it is a clean bed, or a
clean plate or a good latin mark he gets for himself. a “self help” program
necessarily demands simplicity of living, but we feel that the fullest,
richest and finest life can best thrive where simplicity of living is in vogue.”
—The Story of the Wooster School, circa 1932
2011 11
trUst, culTurE & rESPoNSibiliTy
by Richard Cassi first Visited wooster when my wife was being recruited as an administrator. After twenty-some years around independent schools, I thought I’d experienced most of the ways in which students could act with each other, but on my student-led campus tour, I saw remarkable examples of students treating each other well, including holding doors open for each other and, wonder of wonders, cleaning the School. It seemed to me this respect for each other was only possible in an atmosphere of great trust. At Wooster, both academic success and personal growth depend on trust: trust between student and teacher, student and school, student and community. Trust within the School is founded on a sense of mutual responsibility among students, faculty, administration and the community at large. Wooster instills responsibility one student at a time, one act at a time. The School understands and respects each individual’s unique strengths and challenges. The Wooster motto affirms this practice: “From each according to ability; to each according to need.”
Wooster’s culture teaches students responsibility in scores of ways:
resPonsiBility for themselVes:
> The Self-help tradition emphasizes personal engagement in the people and life of the School.
> The Honor Code supports Wooster’s community of trust.
> The Warner Rule insists that no one impede the learning, growth, or well-being of another.
> The Jobs program implements the Self-help tradition by making students responsible for the condition of the campus.
> The Prefect system places responsibility for campus life in the hands of student leaders.
resPonsiBility for their edUcation:
> Students evaluate each other’s work.> Students are expected to recognize the need
for and seek out extra academic help.> Students learn time management skills to
maximize their learning efficiency.> And students are deeply involved in their
college selection process.
…this respect for
each other was
only possible in an
atmosphere of great
trust.
Wooster NEWS12
resPonsiBility for others:
> The School Motto reminds students to draw from each according to ability and to give to each according to need.
> An Honor and Discipline Committee involves students in school disciplinary matters.
> Student campus tour guides represent the School to visitors and prospective students and parents.
> One hundred hours of community service is required for graduation.
Wooster’s curriculum teaches students to think critically and creatively. Students learn to listen to divergent opinions, to question assumptions and the validity of sources respectfully, and to collaborate. The faculty encourages students to reflect and
to integrate their curiosity, their passions and their experiences. But while Wooster’s academics prepare students for the intellectual rigors of post-secondary education, its social programs—like Self-help—lay the foundation for ethical living and effective citizenship. Adults at Wooster model civility and courtesy. Students internalize and act on these important values. A culture of kindness fosters and protects each student’s right to learn, creating a uniquely positive educational environment. This mix of intellectual and social learning develops good people, good learners and good citizens. As students leave Wooster, they carry its values with them. They enter the larger world as capable, competent adults, prepared to navigate the future with intellectual and creative strength, grace, humor and dignity.
self-helP: lEadErShiP, rESPoNSibiliTy & STEWardShiP
by William Street claSS of 1980, uPPEr School hiSTory TEachEr, aSSiSTaNT dEaN of STudENTS
i still rememBer the first time i walked
into wooster school. I was a ninth grader, attending Ridgefield High School, when my parents and I arrived at New Building (now Grover Hall) and asked the person sweeping the floor where we could
find the Admissions office. I, in my naive, pre-Wooster ways, assumed we were asking the janitor. I remembered this vividly a year later when, as a Wooster tenth grader, I was sweeping the floor as a family came in and asked me where to find the Admissions office.
Wooster’s…social
programs…lay the
foundation for ethical
living and effective
citizenship.
2011 13
Self-help is most simply and probably most frequently described by student tour guides as “the students clean the School.” This simple phrase hardly begins to describe the responsibilities we require of the students. As one student who came to Wooster told me, “At my other school, we had jobs. But if you didn’t do them, the janitor would. At Wooster, you are it. If you do not do your job, no one will.” “The students clean the School” also leaves out an important aspect of what Self-help is about. As students grow older, they grow into more and more responsibility. In the Upper School, seniors run Self-help with only limited adult supervision. If an adult must step in, it is usually because something has gone wrong. Adult supervision is the exception, not the norm. As Wooster has evolved to become a pre-k to 12 day school, Self-help has evolved along with it. At its core, it still involves students taking on fundamental responsibility for the day-to-day maintenance of the School. Self-help does more than clean the School. Former teacher Donald Schwartz, in a speech to a junior class about to take over their senior responsibilities, said that Self-help at Wooster builds morals, builds morale and cleans the School. It teaches us to think about and care for our environment. It gives us the sense of community which comes from completing a shared task. If all goes well, it cleans the School. I sometimes tell students that there are three stages to Self-help. The first is the easiest: don’t litter. If a student realizes that she or he is making someone else’s work or
play area into a garbage can, that student has become aware of something larger than him or herself. The second stage is more difficult: if you see litter, pick it up, and dispose of it. This makes us responsible not only for ourselves but also for our community. This means actively helping each other and is sometimes more difficult for people to do. The third stage is the most difficult: help create a community atmosphere in which no one would consider littering. Individuals and society are in a constant process of creating each other. If we each take positive steps towards making our community better, it will become better and better serve the individual’s needs. Towards the end of the summer of 2009, several faculty members and I accompanied the seniors on an overnight trip to a nearby camp. The camp had students of many ages, both day students and overnight campers, and a strong outdoor education program. I was shocked and surprised that the grounds seemed to be overrun with litter! The uncaring attitude which the campers there took towards their surroundings made me appreciate all the more how lucky we are to be at Wooster. I was proud of the Wooster students who not only took care of their own trash but picked up the litter others had left on the ground. Each senior has a responsibility for a designated area of the School. Each senior also has responsibility for the general behavior of the students and the cleanliness of the entire school. Seniors are assigned their
self-help at Wooster
builds morals, builds
morale and cleans the
school. it teaches us to
think about and care for
our environment. it gives
us the sense of community
which comes from
completing a shared
task. if all goes well, it
cleansthe school.
Wooster NEWS14
jobs at the end of April of their junior year, when the current senior class is preparing to leave campus to pursue an independent study. During Jobs period, from 3:15–3:45 each day, students in grades 6–11 set to work at the tasks to which the seniors have directed them. They vacuum, they sweep, they dust, they empty the garbage and take out the recycling. They wash windows. They wash dishes. They do nearly all of this without any direct adult supervision. Sometimes, I stand back and marvel at what they accomplish. Students in grades 6–7 do their jobs under the direction of eighth grade job captains, who receive support from seniors. Students in Lower School have various classroom and dining room responsibilities as directed by their teachers. A great deal of responsibility falls upon the Senior Prefect. This senior assigns jobs to students in grades 8–12 every few weeks and deals with dozens of minor obstacles each day. Sometimes, it seems the Senior Prefect is presented with an endless stream of students and adults wanting immediate attention to this detail or that part of the campus. Self-help has been a part of Wooster since its inception. Founder Aaron Coburn borrowed the idea of Self-help from Father Sill, the founder of Kent School. “The boys have done the work assigned to them in a credible way,” The Rev. Coburn wrote in his first report to the trustees (November 1926). “We seem to have naturally fallen into the program of Self-help.”
Since then, as Wooster has changed, so has the program. As Wooster changes, however, we strive to also remain the same, to keep what former longtime Headmaster John Verdery called “The Essence of Wooster.” Self-help helps us to maintain our identity even as we grow from a boys’ boarding school to a co-ed Upper and Middle day-boarding school to a pre-k to 12 day school. The impact that Self-help has upon students lasts long beyond graduation. When I talk to alums, both people with whom I attended Wooster, and people whom I taught, they invariably ask about Self-help. (Then they ask if Tom Hackett still teaches here—he does.) Several years ago, I walked around Wooster with a former prefect who had attended the School for five years. His father-in-law was with him; we stopped at every room to share some memory or experience. We spent the longest time in KP, however, remembering our experiences there during and after lunch. We recalled it as something fun and something worthwhile. I think that there are only a few schools where that sort of memory could be so important to alums. Isaac Roth, the Senior Prefect in 1993, once wrote me a note which included the following words: Self-help is the single most important thing
to me. The challenge it presents causes me the
most anxiety, most joy and teaches me more
than any other one thing that I do.
2011 15
do WhaT you’rE Told Before you’rE Told To do iT
by Matthew Levy ’12on aPril 29, 2011, Wooster’s Upper School “sent off” our 44 seniors, and “moved up” our 28 juniors. The Senior Send-Off service was held in the James Marshall Chapel with the entire Middle and Upper School student bodies in attendance. Rising Senior Prefect Matt Levy ’12 addressed his peers in a way that exemplifies the best of Wooster: “The Class of 2011 contributed great things to Wooster academically, artistically and athletically. So I stand up here to ask you, How will we leave our mark? No, I am not only addressing the class of 2012, but all the classes present here today, and the faculty. How will we leave our mark on Wooster that has been ‘defined by the people who have lived, led, taught, coached and studied here?’ “I would like to take a quick and simple survey. All you have to do is raise your hand. “By a show of hands, how many people here dislike being told what to do? [Ed: most hands were raised!] “For faculty members, how many of you dislike telling a student what to do, when you know that student knows better? [Ed: ALL faculty hands were raised!]
“Students take note of this…Today, I have a solution for this dilemma that will make both parties happy: ‘Do what you are told, before you are told to do it.’ A simple solution to avoid many problems. This saying has kept me out of lots of trouble and has kept me in good graces with a majority of the faculty, which is probably part of the reason I am standing before you today.Make smart decisions. We have heard this phrase many times before, mostly over long weekends and breaks. But for 2011–2012, I ask you to make conscious decisions. Know the effects that your actions have on yourself and on other people. Understand the impression your actions will have on other people and make sure your impression matches how you want to portray yourself.For 2011–2012, I charge you to ‘Do what you are told, before you are told to do it’ and ‘Make conscious decisions’ so that we may leave our mark on Wooster. “For the year 2011–2012, I charge you, in the words of Robert Browning, ‘Come, come along with me / The best is yet to be.’ Thank you.”
“do what you are told,
before you are told to
do it” and “Make conscious
decisions” so that we
may leave our
mark on Wooster.
Wooster NEWS16
today there are 700,000 kids participating in the program
in 900 chapters in all 50 u.s. states and 50 countries.
2011 17
the concePts of serVice to the
commUnity and self-sacrifice are deeply rooted in the Wooster School tradition. Students are imbued with the importance of giving back to the School and the world around them. So it is a natural and seamless fit that Wooster students are involved with Best Buddies, an international program that matches students in one-to-one relationships with other students. The program was founded by Anthony Shriver in 1989 at Georgetown University. He is the son of the late Sargent Shriver, the first director of the Peace Corps, and the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the driving force behind the Special Olympics. Clearly, the acorn didn’t fall far from that particular family tree. Today there are 700,000 kids participating in the program in 900 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in 50 countries. The student behind Wooster’s involvement is Greg Schmitt, a junior from Ridgefield, who came to Wooster following 6th grade in the Ridgefield schools and who serves as the chapter president at Wooster. “I heard about Best Buddies last year and it appealed to me because I think I’d like to eventually become a psychiatrist and it seemed like a good fit,” says Schmitt, who is a musician, involved in the theater, and is passionate about Ultimate Frisbee. “I went to a leadership conference in July at Indiana University and really learned a lot about Best Buddies and
thought we should have a chapter here.” According to Schmitt, the idea is for participants in Best Buddies to form one-on-one relationships with students who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. In Wooster’s case, all the students come from Danbury High School. Wooster’s students receive disability awareness training but Schmitt makes it clear that their role is simply being a friend. “We’re not therapists or doctors,” he explains. “We don’t know our buddy’s diagnosis. That’s all confidential. We’re just there to be a pal.” The 20 students from Wooster (roughly 15 percent of the student body, a remarkable percentage and about the size of a typical chapter even at larger schools) typically meet with their buddies, sometimes in group settings and sometime one-on-one. “You can pretty much do whatever you want,” says Schmitt. “A group activity might be bowling, playing basketball, a school-sponsored dance or going to a game. An individual activity might be something like going to a movie. The big thing is to be there for your friend.” In the final analysis, Best Buddies is another reflection of the Wooster tradition and the character of its students. “Wooster students learn early in their time here that compassion and caring for the community are at the core of the School,” says Schmitt. It’s also at the core of Best Buddies.
and the Wooster Tradition
“We’re not therapists
or doctors. We don’t
know our buddy’s
diagnosis. that’s all
confidential. We’re just
there to be a pal.”
Wooster NEWS18
The Progress at Prospect
2011 19
to one degree or another, teaching is a labor of love, and that is particularly true for the educators involved with The Prospect School at Wooster, which opened in 2011. The School serves students ages 7–14 with learning disabilities. “I am a passionate believer in schools like Prospect,” says Andrew Gray, the Chief Financial Officer at Wooster School who is one of the four-member management team for The Prospect School. “When I was four I couldn’t read. My kindergarten teacher told my mother I’d never graduate from high school. By a stroke of chance, my father was sent to northern Wales and I was sent to a convent school, where the nuns diagnosed me as dyslexic. When we returned to the United States, I was enrolled in the Carroll School in Lincoln, Mass. By the time I finished sixth grade I could read at a college level, so you can see why I understand and appreciate the impact a school like Prospect can have on kids, particularly since we are able to identify challenges at an earlier age now and can work on their issues. These kids are capable of so much and prospect is hugely important to me personally.” Kelly Raymond, another member of the management team (along with Tad Jacks, Wooster’s Admissions Director and Rae-ann Allen, the Head of the Lower School), is Prospect School’s learning specialist. She has been involved at Wooster School on and off and in a variety of capacities for 15 years and welcomes the challenges and opportunities The Prospect School presents. “My entire family is involved in working with students with learning challenges,” she explains. “We all understand how great the need is in the overall community for a school like Prospect. The public schools have more resources but the advantage we have
at Prospect is that the classes are smaller and we get to know the students much better than people working in larger classes. We are also able to work more closely with parents. For me, the greatest thrill is working with a student and trying different approaches and then suddenly see it click.” Jamie Matis is a teacher at Prospect School and, like Andrew Gray, she has a special connection with students who face learning challenges. “In my case, I was diagnosed with mild dyslexia, so I understand the struggles and challenges these kids face, which I think helps my teaching,” she says. “I always liked babysitting and as a teacher, have always worked with elementary school students. Being a part of Wooster School has helped tremendously because for children with learning issues, socialization is a major challenge. The teachers in the Lower School reach out to us so that our students have opportunities to interact with theirs. We are completely involved in our students’ educations—their curriculum and helping them understand what is expected and unexpected behavior.” The other teacher at Prospect School is Howard Gorman, and to say he took an unexpected career path to Prospect is an understatement. “I was in corporate finance but I always wanted to be a teacher,” he says. “I enjoy the complexity of special education. Teachers are creative by nature. It’s probably not a coincidence that I love building furniture. As teachers, we work with a variety of learning tools and a lot of time you have to improvise as you go along, creating new tools. But as challenging as it might be, when you make a connection with a student, the psychic rewards make it all worthwhile.”
“…the greatest thrill is
working with a student
and trying different
approaches and then
suddenly see it click.”
Wooster NEWS20
an imPortant new chaPter in Wooster School’s history began in 2011 with the inception of the Early Childhood Center for students ages three through kindergarten, located in Wellington Cottage. In the fall, there were six students in the combined three- and-four-year-olds and eight in kindergarten. Classes are held five days a week although the schedule is flexible for the younger children, including a half-day option. “We constantly think in terms of a child’s development, which is one reason we’re always thinking of ways to move from active to quiet activities,” explains Jennifer Ellis, who teaches kindergarten. “We also have small group activities as well as activities for the larger groups. We strive for a natural ebb and flow and understand that it’s important to build in rest periods.” Linda Borkowski, the Early Childhood Admissions Associate and a Kindergarten Assistant, explains an important part of the program’s philosophy. “We spend a lot of time on the social and emotional growth of the individuals in the
group,” she says. “We want to help the children develop a strong self-image. To do that, we work very hard to create a safe, nurturing environment. We also believe very strongly in a play-based, rich materials program, because that’s how children learn best. ” There is also a strong effort to incorporate the students’ thinking in the development of the program. For example, at the end of each day a “Closing Circle” is held where students and staff discuss any problems that might have arisen during the day. “We encourage the students to discuss what rules we should have,” says Nancy Hershatter, a teacher in pre-kindergarten and with the 4s. “When you include the children this way it gives them a strong sense of ownership.” The program incorporates many of Wooster School’s resources. “I think the program is unique because we can take advantage of the School’s art, music and library resources,” says Hershatter. “We even have a one-hour chapel story hour with the Reverend Ross.
“We encourage the
students to discuss
what rules we should
have. When you
include the children
this way it gives them
a strong sense of
ownership.”
Getting Kids Off to the Best Possible Start
2011 21
“language
development is central
to our philosophy. We
encourage the children
to reflect on their
experiences and also
to develop their own
agendas and activities.”
At every level of the program there is an emphasis on language development. “Language development is central to our philosophy,” says Ellis. “We encourage the children to reflect on their experiences and also to develop their own agendas and activities.” The program also benefits from the small class sizes. “The number of students allows us to really get to know the students, as well as their strengths and the areas we need to focus
on,” explains Melissa Munk, a teacher in the pre-kindergarten 3s. “We also encourage the integration of adults into the classroom.” And the program’s students can also participate in the “Summer at Wooster” program, which is open to children up to age 12. Students can attend the entire six-week schedule or divide it into two-week schedules. Either way, the focus is on creative offerings such as arts and music. It’s all part of the effort to get children off to the best possible start in their education.
Wooster NEWS22
acroSS ThE Bridge
2011 23
the Magic of robotics
the official title of the coUrse is
information technology 6: roBotics
engineering, which certainly sounds a bit intimidating. But in reality, it is one of the most creative and innovative programs Wooster School has to offer. Students learn the basics of electronic control and some elements of advanced programming logic while participating in inquiry-based lessons that cover engineering, measurements, ratios and proportions. The course ends with students involved in an open-ended challenge featuring problem solving, teamwork and project management.“In the course students take on the roles of ‘mechanical engineers’ and ‘computer scientists,’” says Andrew Wright, who teaches the course. “Students study the dynamics of sensors as well as subjects such as motion planning and obstacle avoidance, velocity
and acceleration, and actuators. Students put knowledge and concepts into practice through lab settings where teams create robots. There is also ‘object oriented’ programming through interactions with the incredibly cool LEGO Mindstorms NXT robotics kits. Every concept that is covered in the course can be applied directly to the cutting-edge, real-world programming processes in use today.” If all this sounds like robotic fun and games—and it is a fun course, witness its popularity—it ultimately provides students with knowledge of core competencies of mathematics, science and technology. “We use ‘playing’ with toys to open the door to understanding engineering, programming, sensors, gears and more,” says Wright. “Don’t worry; we’re secretly using a precisely structured curriculum.” In a fun way, of course.
tec
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gy
Wooster NEWS24
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Why sports Matter
athletics haVe always Played an
imPortant role in shaPing the cUltUre
and sPirit of wooster school but in this day and age, do sports really matter, and if they do, why? Wooster’s Athletic Director Dave MacNutt thinks they do and maybe now more than ever. “Sports—particularly team sports—have always taught lessons of collaboration, problem solving, sportsmanship, discipline and teamwork,” says MacNutt, who came to Wooster in 1992. “Sports teach important, fundamental life skills, but if you look at the obesity among kids today, it becomes even more obvious why they are so important. On the street where we live, there are ten families and my kids are the only ones you ever see out playing. The rest are inside playing video games or caught up in some sort of social media. That’s not very healthy, either physically, mentally, or socially.” To that end, Wooster has increased its
number of teams from 15 to 31 in 20 years and the levels of participation among students are extraordinary by any measure. “We have physical education programs for all students from age three through 8th grade,” MacNutt explains. “In 9th and 10th grades students participate in one team sport and one physical activity a year. The physical activity can be weightlifting, winter theater productions, outdoor programs, off-campus activities that include a physical activity, or an art-intensive program. In 11th and 12th grades, students must participate in one team sport and one physical activity a year, but seniors have the option of taking one semester off.” One key word in all that is participate.
“Regardless of your ability, if you want to compete in a specific sport, you are on a team,” he says. “We have a ‘no-cut’ policy within each sport. You might not make the varsity and, if you do, you might not play in every game, but you will participate on some level.”
Wooster School
2011 25
at
hlet
ics
Another element central to Wooster’s athletics philosophy is an emphasis on a Code of Conduct that applies to athletes, coaches, officials and parents. It is taken very seriously. “It is rare for a school to attain a level of excellence and also be respected for how the School community conducts itself on and off the field,” says MacNutt. “How we play is as important as how we do.” Another rarity at Wooster is the participation of the faculty in athletics. “Ninety-eight percent of our coaches are teachers here,” says MacNutt. “That allows them to see the students in a different light and allows the students to see their teachers differently. If you are a good coach, you’re usually a good teacher. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
to gauge just how successful wooster
athletics have been, just consider:
> Wooster has earned the Hudson Valley Athletic League’s most-coveted honor—the Sportsmanship Award—11 times in the last 14 years.
> Wooster has been honored with a total of 44 sportsmanship awards.
> The School has won 46 HVAL titles.> Wooster has received 49 bids to the
prestigious New England tournament.> And the students have learned a lot of
valuable lessons along the way, which is what matters most.
“sports…have always
taught lessons of
collaboration, problem
solving, sportsmanship,
discipline and
teamwork.”
Wooster NEWS26
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wooster creates an athletic hall of fame
Wooster’s new athletic hall of
Fame will induct its inaugural
class of 10–12 members during
alumni Weekend in May 2013.
alumni are asked to suggest
possible candidates by emailing
halloffame@woosterschool.org
with detailed information on the
following:
> Who were the top athletes in
your class?
> Who were the best athletes
during your time at Wooster?
> Who was the best coach you
had at Wooster?
> Were any school records
established during your time?
in addition to supplying the
information above, people are asked
to share their most memorable
athletic experiences. some of these
recollections will be posted in the
“alumni corner” with a goal of
highlighting both past and current
programs. a listing of athletic
award winners can be found at
www.gogenerals.org.
the following is a list of eligibility
guidelines:
> alumni/ae: Must have graduated
a minimum of five years ago and
will be evaluated on athletic
achievements, sportsmanship,
leadership and team play. their
actions must have brought credit
to themselves, their team and
the school.
> coaches: Must either be retired
or have left Wooster and will be
evaluated on their performance
as a coach, keeping in mind such
qualities as teaching skills, life
lessons and building character.
> others: any other individuals
with an official tie to Wooster,
such as an athletic trainer,
longtime volunteer, or friend
to the program.
“ninety-eight percent
of our coaches
are teachers here. that
allows them to see the
students in a different
light and allows the
students to see their
teachers differently.”
Wooster School Athletic Hall of Fame
2011 27
at
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eligiBility
considerations
> all seniors who
have earned either
the outstanding
athlete award
or the scholar-
athlete award
will be eligible for
consideration.
> all school record
holders, which have
stood the test of
time (a minimum of
10 years).
> all multiple Most
Valuable Player award
winners.
> all other nominees
must have the
approval of the
nominating
committee to
be eligible for
consideration.
inductions will occur
annually until such
time when inductees
become scarce. at such
time, the rate at which
members are inducted
will be revisited. it is
preferable to select
recipients who are
in a reunion year,
whenever possible.
selection
ProcedUre
a nominating
committee will
collect nominations
from a variety of
sources and make
recommendations
to the selection
committee. the
composition of both
committees will be
announced shortly.
in early June,
class agents will
send out letters to
classmates seeking
nominations for a
July 31, 2012, deadline.
nominations are also
sought from various
groups including
the alumni council,
athletic department
and development
office. By early august,
the nominating
committee will
recommend its
preliminary candidates
to the selection
committee. By early
september, a final
list will be presented
to the selection
committee, which will
announce the first
class of inductees in
october.
Wooster NEWS28
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opening students’ eyes to the Wonders of art
leaVe the classrooms and administrative offices and go down a broad set of wooden steps towards the athletic fields and you’ll find yourself in a land of wonder—the art facilities—where magic happens on a daily basis. Sarah Rand is the Middle School art teacher, as well as a teacher of advanced art in the Upper School, who also teaches Upper School’s afternoon art classes. She has been at Wooster School for five years, polishing the skills she learned at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, where she received her bachelor of fine arts degree in Illustration and her masters in arts and teaching. Sarah taught for eight years in Tuckahoe, N.Y. before coming to Wooster. At RISD, and later at Wooster, she has developed a perspective and insight into the worlds of art and kids. “Art is about learning the relationships
between color, shape, form, texture, depth and line,” she says. “In a school setting, art is really the hub. It brings everything together socially for students, helping them discover who they are and who they’re going to be. In Middle School we developed programs and projects that allow kids to tell their stories and bring them out through art. “We want students to pull from their life experiences,” she adds. “We try and honor them and their ideas. It’s easy for kids to lose sight of who they are and how special they are.” One of the most successful projects is the “Collaboratives” done by sixth, seventh and eight-graders. Classes do at least one a year and so far the program has resulted in some 20 pieces of astonishing breadth and creativity. “We make two color prints, some as small as 8"x 9" and others as large as 18"x 24,"”
Arts @Wooster
“…art is really the hub.
it brings everything
together socially for
students, helping
them discover who
they are and who
they’re going to be.”
2011 29
collaBoration
collaboration is a
key component of
Wooster’s art program.
each division weaves
collaborative projects
into the curriculum
in age-appropriate
ways. lower school
students might paint a
giant pizza, construct
a trojan horse out of
cardboard, or paint
a huge moon with
carefully shaded
craters. Middle school
classes collaborate on
composite paintings
of masterworks of art.
upper school students
collaborate to make
boats that float on
Miry Brook, site-
specific installations,
or short films and
videos. creating
together fosters
respect for others’
ideas and processes,
tolerance for different
personalities, and
offers students the
unparalleled bond
and feeling of pride
that come from shared
accomplishment.
she says. “One is kept intact so kids can have an overview and the other acts as a grid and is cut in squares. Each student is given a square to reproduce. Not only are they working on their own but also with others in creating the final collaboration. It is a wonderful exercise in sharing and teamwork.” Mrs. Rand usually begins with a masterpiece like Paul Gauguin’s Siesta or Jasper Johns’ iconic, Flag.
“We chose to do Flag in conjunction with the anniversary of 9/11 because it was such an expression of strength, unity and support,” she explains. “It is a way of helping kids make a connection to the real world and the
School world. Compositionally, they may end up being a ‘little off’ but that’s okay. It’s part of what makes them interesting. In the end, we want kids to see their place as part of a bigger picture.” Currently, the Collaboratives are on display in the Middle School and are stored in her studio, but Mrs. Rand would like to see them reach a larger audience. “I have a dream that we could mount them on plywood, encase them in Plexiglas, and have them on display along the main driveway for everyone to see,” she says. “Wouldn’t that be great?” Wouldn’t it, indeed.
ThE a
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Wooster NEWS30
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Wooster drama Presents Picasso at the Lapin Agile
this fall, the wooster UPPer school
drama dePartment presented a phenomenal performance of Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile. The story is set in 1904 at a Montmartre bar in Paris and features the characters of Einstein and Picasso. Both men are on the verge of the creative break throughs that would change
the worlds of art and science forever. They find themselves thrown together at the Lapin Agile, and the sparks fly as these titans clash with each other and a host of other characters. Einstein and Picasso debate the value of talent, genius, and ponder what is the engine that drives the creative moment?
the cast
Freddy: connor Williams ’13
gaston: William Mound ’12
germaine: emily Mcinerney ’12
albert einstein: corey allred ’12
suzanne: carolyn Phelan ’13
sagot: oliver kisielius ’14
Pablo Picasso: greg schmitt ’13
charles dabernow
schmendiman: Johnathan Figueroa ’14
the countess: Madeleine Ball ’12
a female admirer: Madeleine Ball ’12
the crew
director: Beau gravitte
scenic design: kim gerardi
costume design: andrea Barrett
Properties design: anne gilson
stage Manager: olivia Blanton-rich
assistant stage Manager: nicole lang
assistant to director: anne gilson
Picasso Painting: debbie chodoff,
Mrs. rand and her
illustration class
lighting operators: teddy Woods
sound Board operator: Jamie Macnutt
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2011 31
ac
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emic
sneasc this is Wooster’s self study Year in Preparation for continuing accreditation by the new england association of schools and colleges (neasc).
neasc accreditation is a system of
accoUntaBility with goals designed to increase effectiveness and improvement for both public and independent schools and colleges. Accreditation is standards based and respects differences in institutional populations, missions and cultures. This system fosters institutional changes grounded in the judgment of practicing educators. Accreditation attests to compliance with these established standards, as well as integrity in describing our program, our commitment to improvement, and the sufficiency of our resources. Every ten years, each member school must undergo a process of reflection about itself and its program, followed by updates two and five years after the visit. NEASC provides schools with a clear guideline for the process leading up to this visit. The first step in our process was the full review of the Mission Statement carried out during the 2009–2010 school year, followed in 2010–2011 by the creation of an educational roadmap for our future. This year, Wooster is writing a guided self study that requires us to closely examine our program in light of our mission in order to determine that the School is doing what it says it will do in implementing the mission through its various programs. This self study process is coordinated by a steering committee comprised of members of the faculty and staff. Stephanie Dumoski, our Director of Schedule and Planning, serves as the Chair of that committee. Other members are Amanda Barter, Scott Brady, Pete Lingenheld, Michelle Moriarty, Elyse Felicione, Charlotte Wood, Ron Hutchins and Justine Bryar.
after Wooster
in the past five years Wooster students have enrolled at the following
colleges and universities:
amherst college
Bard college
Bates college
Binghamton university
Boston university
Brown university
Bucknell university
cambridge university (uk)
carleton college
carnegie-Mellon university
colby sawyer college
colgate university
colorado college
connecticut college
drew university
duke university
earlham college
eckerd college
elizabethtown college
elmira university
elon university
Fordham university
george Washington university
gettysburg college
haverford college
hendrix college
hobart and William smith college
holy cross university
James Madison university
kenyon college
lehigh university
Macalester college
Manhattanville college
Mcgill university
Miami university (oh)
Mount holyoke college
new York university
northwestern university
oberlin college
occidental college
Purchase university
rensselaer Polytechnic university
rhode island school of design
rochester institute of technology
roger Williams university
sacred heart university
santa clara university
sarah lawrence college
skidmore college
spelman college
st. Joseph’s university
susquehanna university
swarthmore college
trinity college
trinity university (tX)
tufts university
union college
university of connecticut
university of delaware
university of hartford
unc chapel hill
university of Pennsylvania
university of richmond
university of st. andrews (uk)
university of Virginia
university of Wisconsin
Villanova university
Washington and lee university
Washington university
Wesleyan university
Wheaton college
Williams college
Worchester Polytechnic university
Yale university
Wooster NEWS32
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Founders day: thursday, april 21, 2011
director of stUdies, academic dean, tennis coach, chess coach, Academic Bowl master, math teacher, department chair, father, husband, son, colleague and friend to many, alvin hamilton has dedicated 25 years of his life to Wooster School. The best way to honor this service is perhaps to share memories of others who have observed, befriended and worked with him over the years: Tom Hackett remembers his first encounter with Alvin, as he was taking a jog around campus during a summer afternoon and found Alvin clearing one of our Wooster paths of underbrush. When asked why he was performing such a task, Alvin replied, “Well, this is a Self-help school, isn’t it?”
“Once when he was coaching the chess team in the late ’80s, it fell to us to host a guest team for dinner. When Alvin introduced this idea to the head cook, George Schmidt, George asked him what he would like for dinner that night. Alvin casually replied, ‘Lobster.’ Nothing prepared Alvin for the eventuality that George actually did secure lobster for the whole boarding population and for our guests that evening. Alvin was gloriously mortified.” A hugely accomplished chess player, adept GO player and shrewd poker player, we perhaps remember most his intense bridge matches with Gary Taylor, Eunice Grover and other Woosterites. And
Alvin Hamilton
has dedicated
25 years
of his life to
Wooster school.
faculTy kUdos
2011 33
although he is most known for his academic prowess (he is, after all, the keeper of the Academic Bowl) and his voracious intellect, he is also quite an accomplished tennis and soccer player. John Cheeseman recalls Alvin’s lengthy written (and always witty) blow-by-blow descriptions of intra-school chess competitions (in the early years, he was a very enthusiastic Wooster chess coach), his enduring commitment to the annual task of paring the prose of certain graduation prizes, and, as Director of Studies, his more than strong interest in faculty deadlines for grades and comments. Woe be to the tardy! Faculty members past and current wish we had some tapes of the legendary encounters at faculty meetings between Korb Eynon and Alvin Hamilton: passionate and often ferocious dedication to clarity of ideas and language. Korb recalls one of his favorite scenes at Wooster: Alvin leading his daughters to school down the hill behind the Library. Gary Taylor writes that Alvin was his friend at Wooster for 15 years, but his mentor even before that. One early ’90s memory of Alvin is of the entire faculty meeting around a single table talking not about school policy but about individual students, probing for what we could do to help them on their way. Inevitably we’d ask each other which teacher had a particular connection with a particular student. “As a new, green teacher, I was struck by how often the full faculty chose Alvin for that role: > Alvin, the stern, systematic math teacher
who always had his lesson plans for the entire year ready in September;
> Alvin, the one who knew the entire academic schedule and the all-year calendar and the student/parent handbook off the top of his head and could foresee the practical implications of any management decision;
> Alvin, the one who so often advocated for holding a student’s feet to the fire when work was late or some other responsibility was being shirked.
That he was the one sent by the faculty to help a particular child in crisis taught me not just that he was held in the deepest respect by his peers for his tact and candor and heartfelt concern, but also that being stern and systematic, on top of the details of running a complex community, and holding every kid to high standards of responsibility, was a way to show the students that they were richly valued and deeply loved.” Of course, Gary also remembers poker games long into the night on a snow day with Head John Effinger, Alvin, Bill Street and Ken Hansberry sitting around the table singing songs from King Missile, wearing napkins on their heads as the snow fell outside in torrents.... Wooster is what it is in large part because of the love Alvin has showed day after day, month after month, year after year to all those who have passed through these halls. It has not always been the warm, fuzzy kind of love that he regularly lavishes on his beautiful daughters, but it is the kind of love that makes those, like Gary and many others who know and have known him, better, wiser, more than we would have otherwise been. Countless students have benefitted from Alvin’s teaching, extra help, support, and particularly his behind the scenes advocacy. Numerous parents have counted on his guidance as their children weather the storms of high school. Dozens of colleagues have looked to him for a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen as they navigated the challenges of teaching at Wooster. Always, at every turn, Alvin holds the importance of balancing what is best for the students against what is best for Wooster in the forefront of his mind and heart, to the benefit of all. Alvin’s commitment to his family, his dedication to his Wooster family, his passion for serving Wooster in so many capacities over the years highlight this consummate School Man’s contributions to the survival and success of Wooster School for the past 25 years. And finally, we can only agree with Korb Eynon, who notes: “Integrity. Integrity. Integrity. I thought Joe Grover had left but then, there is Alvin.”
fac
ulTy k
Ud
os
“…he was held in
the deepest respect
by his peers for his
tact and candor and
heartfelt concern,
…being stern and
systematic, on top of
the details of running
a complex community,
and holding every
kid to high standards
of responsibility, was
a way to show the
students that they
were richly valued and
deeply loved.”
Wooster NEWS34
193280th reUnion
arthur d. stein writes, “i am
perhaps the oldest alumni. i
am checking in with a meager
amount, this does not indicate
my great loyalty to Wooster. i
continue to miss my buddy John
coburn but the bronze hanging
in the chapel hopefully shows
my love for Wooster. i am now 97
years old and living in an assisted
living home.”
1934stanley gilbert had a stroke in
august but was well enough to
watch hamilton lose to colgate.
194270th reUnion
Joseph Johnson writes, “My wife
has moved to dogwood Village, a
managed care facility in grange,
Va. she is doing well there, has
many friends, and is pleased with
it. i am well, too—getting a little
rickety on my feet, but still ok.
the Wooster family should know
that when people ask where
i went to college, i tell them
‘Wooster school’. i’m proud of that
and the job you are doing now.”
1951tom dodge writes, “retired for
the third time last year. sold the
sawmill to a canadian firm and all
the equipment is now gone. My
wife and i have retired to the round
home (18 sides) we built at the top
of our new hampshire mountain
to write, paint and tell stories to
any and all who will listen.”
195260th reUnion
robert g. Peck writes, “i am not
fully retired after fifty years of
teaching english full-time and
part-time, in colleges and prep
schools. a splendid time with
george and Mary Madsen at larry
and Mary hewses 50th anniversary
celebration in early october.”
1955david h. treadwell writes, “a trip
to dublin, ireland, brought joy to
dave and Joan as they welcomed
their 3rd grandchild toby david
shine. toby joins his 8-year-old
brother ethan and his 5-year-
old sister amelia Joan. their
daughter, dr. kasey treadwell-
shine, is the proud mom, and
husband Jim the happy dad.”
196250th reUnion
nick gilbert writes, “i am gearing
up to visit grandson sebastian
londa gilbert (age 2) in santiago,
chile, this January. looking
forward to the 50th reunion.”
1974rhys Moore writes, “Wooster exacta
at churchill downs november
2011 in this year’s running of the
Breeder’s cup races (the biggest
weekend in thoroughbred racing)
at churchill downs there were two
horses running in the same race
with Wooster connections. the
$2,000,000 grey goose stakes for
2-year-old fillies featured rocket
21, owned by Fletcher racing
and whose Managing director
is kathy Moore, sister of rhys
Moore ‘74 and say a novena,
owned by rick shanley, brother
of nancy shanley cole ‘74. Both
horses were featured in two page
photo spread in Sports Illustrated
and the race was broadcast on
esPn. unfortunately neither horse
made it to the Winners circle but
both rick and i enjoyed the local
flavors of louisville. Well, rick more
than me from what i could tell.”
moorerhys@gmail.com
1975david stevens writes, “after
spending two years with the
obama administration as a
Presidential appointment as
assistant secretary of housing and
Federal housing commissioner,
i have returned to the private
sector as President and ceo of the
Mortgage Bankers association in
Washington, d.c. My wife, Mary, and
our four children are doing great.”
1963John Fisher writes, “sue and i
are retired and living on edisto
island, s.c. Would love to see any
classmates visiting the charleston
area. We’re hoping for a big
turnout for our 50th in 2013.”
1965david kuether writes, “Paige and i
have moved! after 37 years at our
new hampshire home, we decided
that six months a year of cold and
extremely cold weather, a warmer
place just might be a good thing.
We are now settled in a very active
over-55 community in south
carolina. our two sons are both
married and living in the Boston
and chicago areas, so we are about
equidistant from both. We will miss
the foliage but not the snow.”
1996heather a. Walter-hoffman writes,
“Jan. 21, 2010, we added a new
member to our family, our son
david Patrick. he is growing like
a little weed. My mom, Jean,
passed away in october after an
illness and i have accepted a job
working as a chef for First health
of the carolinas, Moore regional
hospital in Pinehurst, n.c.’”
former facUlty
doug gortner writes, ”hello
everyone, i have moved to
greater nashville which is a truly
wonderful city. great symphony,
good opera, lots of piano bars
and good restaurants. My
episcopal church membership
stands at 2300 and is growing at
about 15% per year. have been
doing consulting since leaving
Wooster. check out my website:
www.wessebago.com. i have
many fond memories of my short
time with yo’all but i love living
in tennessee where people don’t
honk, tailgate, and you can get
out of a parking lot in a matter
of seconds because people down
here a just so unselfish the first
person lets you in. We had a
terrible flood two years ago. no
looting, no complaining. Just
all hands on deck to help those
whose homes were damaged—
usually at no charge for the clean
up. My church had $3.5 million
in damage and the head of my
Bible study and his wife were
drowned on the way to church.
But we are in ‘fly over country’
so they barely bothered to make
note of the flooding on network
tV. Please let me know if you are
headed this way. Best to all.”
doug@wessebago.com
attention wooster alUms and former facUlty
We want to hear from you!do you have news you’d like to share with fellow classmates? if
you are starting a new job or launching a new business, getting
married, having a baby, or want to share your Favorite Wooster
Memories, we want to hear from you!
are you a former faculty or staff member, we’d love to hear about
your life after Wooster school!
Visit our website at
www.woosterschool.org/alumni/submit-class-note
and let us know how you are doing and what you’ve been up to.
claSS Notes
Inspiration lasts a lifetime when it happens every day.
It’s the season for giving and for giving thanks for gifts received.
Your gift of support to Wooster School 2011–12 Annual Giving campaign makes it possible for us to fill the gap each year between tuition income and the operational costs of our educational and extracurricular programs. Your gift enables us to continue to illuminate, enlighten, spark, inspire and dedicate ourselves to the joyful task of teaching and learning.
Please give as generously as you can.
Call the Development Office at 203-830-3922 or visit www.woosterschool.org/supporting-wooster
Wooster School and the Alumni Council present the
8 T h a N N ua lg o l f o u T i N g
f r i d ay, m ay 1 1 , 2 0 1 2The Golf Club at Oxford Greens
99 Country Club Drive | Oxford, CT 06478
9 a m s h otg U n s ta r t
more info to follow
nonProFit orgu.s. Postage
PaidhartFord ctPerMit #1754
Wooster School91 Miry Brook RoadDanbury, Connecticut 06810 203-830-3916www.woosterschool.org
reUnionSave the Date
friday, may 11, 2012 &saturday, may 12, 2012
announcing the reunion of classes
19421947195219571962196719721977198219871992199720022007
this event is for all Wooster alumni, families and friends.
let us welcome you back for this special weekend with activities for everyone to enjoy.
Please check Wooster’s webpage and Facebook page for updates,
registration form and hotel information.www.woosterschool.org
2011
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