April 2010 1791 Letter - Berwick Academy

Peter Saliba - Upper School DirectorUpper School NewsDear Parents:Great upper schools require aprogram that centers on the educationof the whole child, a faculty and staffof uncommon excellence, and sharedvision among all of its constituenciesthat places their contributions into agreater context.As a teacher, advisor, andadministrator at three different schools,I have embraced the opportunities towork with adolescents in a variety ofsettings. In these different relationships,I have learned to value the educationof the whole child, including moralresponsibility, academic acuity, andphysical achievement. Although theprimary responsibility of an educator isthe advancement of academic skills, itis often the life outside of the classroomthat has the greatest impact on highschool students. The utmost care mustbe exercised to create and sustain anenvironment where the idealism ofadolescents can be expressed, tested,and pursued.This safe environment cannotbe advanced or sustained without afaculty and staff who have a passion andknowledge of their field, collegiality,and a love of working with adolescents.In practice, this group of adults activelycollaborates in and between the manydifferent constituencies that providethe meaningful experiences of a highschool education. Each person isrespected by his and her colleagues,actively supported by the leadership ofthe school, and encouraged to pursuehis and her own growth of knowledgeand love of learning.While some upper schools havea program centered on the whole childthat is supported by an outstandinggroup of adults, a truly great upperschool has a vision that is readilyapparent to all of its constituents.Every person must feel that theybelong to something greater thanhimself and herself and that what heand she is accomplishing has meaning.This starts with the recognition thateach individual has a contribution thatis valued in the classroom, the school,and, eventually, the larger community.This common vision and sense ofhumility is vital to the success of theschool.An excellent upper schooltakes advantage of every “teachableGrade 9 BarbequeSaturday, May 8 2010Blue and White Weekendmoment” that presents itself. It is alsostaffed by a unique group of adults thatwork together in pursuit of a vision thatis closely held by the entire community.When these attributes are woven intothe fabric of school life, incredibleheights are reached by all. In pursuitof these attributes, the people in theupper school must know when to pusheach other, when to support each other,and when to laugh together. A senseof humor is essential in our business,and allows us not to take ourselvestoo seriously in the serious purpose ofeducating our children.Coffee and breakfast treats will beserved starting at 9:00 a.m.BBQ lunch served from11:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.All proceeds to go toward theGrade 9 Junior Prom Fund4 1791 Letter ~April 2010

Rosemary Zurawel - Middle School DirectorMiddle School NewsBike helmets, training wheels,shin guards, elbow padding, sun screen,vaccinations, outlet covers, crib rails;whichever or all of these things thatyou have purchased for your children,you have most likely been motivatedby the desire to protect them fromharm. From infancy, parents are alertto the risks of falls and injury. By thetime one’s children embark on theirmiddle school years, those early daysof protection seem like easy times,indeed. Two newer worries now faceboth families and educators that meritour taking steps to protect children:bullying and internet safety.Cyber-bullying continues toget front-page coverage nationwide.In Massachusetts, testimony before theLegislature recently would lead meto predict that a state law (now calledSenate Bill 2283) protecting childrenfrom bullying may not be far away fromthe Governor’s desk as I thought. Aswe all might agree, making a behaviorillegal does not necessarily make itdisappear. Cyber-bullying is easilyaccomplished through chat rooms,instant messaging, text messages, andthe anonymity that personal deviceshave that allow bullying to occur. TheMassachusetts legislation would requireschools to take steps to prohibit bulliesfrom carrying on the behaviors ofharassment through curriculum reform.What is more compelling about thelegislation is that schools are likely tobe required to respond to complaintsthrough disciplinary measures.It is just this response thatworries so many victims: that a school’sdecision to punish a bully will resultin further harassment of the victim.Every anti-bullying piece of research Ihave read continues to point to somecommon issues:1. Bullies have often been bulliedthemselves and made to feel helpless.This helplessness makes them lash outat others who are weaker.2. Bullies lack empathy for those whomthey hurt.3. Bullies are often oppositionaltowards adults and demonstrate strongself-esteem.Unlike the work by Olweusin 1993 that studied bullying asforms of physical and psychologicalaggression, the current situation isless tenuous, but not less aggressive.Indeed, cyber-bullies use words toconvey deeply harmful messages whilethey are “protected” by distance. Newlegislature will remove that protection.The responses of our vulnerablechildren and adolescents to such hurtvaries, but seldom do they keep theinformation to themselves. At home,my recommendation is to save and toprint everything so that we may takesteps to assist you. Ultimately, theinformation parents provide needsto be tangible and factual. CindyBriggs, our school counselor, can helpwith managing the feelings and makerecommendations for further assistanceof a therapeutic nature. As a school, it isour responsibility to respond to threatsof any kind that threaten the welfareof a student. Should harassment comefrom an outside source (not from aBerwick Academy connection), a familymay choose to seek legal support.Internet safety begins withparents who closely observe bothwhat their children are posting andwhat they are receiving, but it is notlimited to computers. Cell phones,particularly iPhones, are not withinour security filters. The vast numberof applications and access using thephones and services to which you havesubscribed, allows almost unlimitedbrowsing. Photos may be uploaded toFacebook so easily that parents may beunaware that their children are easilyidentifi able to strangers. Moreover,our children may have no reasonablesense of self-protection.Dr. Elizabeth Englander isthe founder of the MassachusettsAggression Reduction Center (MARC)located at Bridgewater State College.She has been a widely recognizedexpert on cyber-bullying and hasaddressed our faculty and parents. Herwebsite (http://webhost.bridgew.edu/marc/) offers a section dedicated toinformation just for parents. A newlyadded (30 January 2010) page on theMARC website is called, “Avoiding andResponding to Problems on Facebook.”The pro-active advice is excellent,and I would recommend that parentsof a student with a Facebook accountsit down and go over the advicetogether with their child. Facebookis a wonderful social tool for people ofall ages over 14. Nonetheless, thereare risks as well as benefits to socialnetworks. MARC is a great place tostart to look for help.In February 2010, Dr. Peter C.continued on pg. 14...1791 Letter ~ April 20105

Joel Hawes - Lower School DirectorLower School NewsAs we emerge from a successfulLower School Production and set oursights on a number of late-April, May,and June curricular investigations anddivisional events, I am excited aboutthe meaningful springtime meetingsthat I will be holding with the faculty.Many of the agenda topics will focuson change for the coming year,while maintaining continuity withour mission, philosophy, and corevalues. From hiring a new aftercarecoordinator to my involvement withthe science program, to building onour technology integrations, I amenergized by the work that lies ahead.As you know, the new academic yearwill also be framed, for the first time,around a trimester structure and threerelated report card assessments inNovember, March, and June. Amongthe program revisions, our approachto documenting and implementing thecurriculum through a process knownas curriculum mapping stands out asanother compelling reason for myenthusiasm leading to 2010-2011.I have highlighted anddescribed the curriculum mappingprocess at several parent informationevents throughout the current year.As mentioned, curriculum mapping isa form of curriculum documentationorganized, in our case, by a powerfulon-line provider: Rubicon AtlasCurriculum Mapping. Electronicorganization and dissemination of ourhorizontal grade-level curricula andvertical kindergarten through gradetwelve curricula will allow for easieraccess to and more productive analysisof our curriculum. We trust that it willbe a more effective management systemfor documenting and implementingour monthly approach to programcontent, sequential skills, and studentassessments.While we address a variety ofagenda items at Lower School facultymeetings, the time we spend discussingcurriculum matters and student progressremains our most important focus.Although these meetings typicallyoccur on Wednesday afternoons, ourLower School (and K-12) faculty havean important opportunity to meet fora full professional day on April 26.I know that our student body willgreatly benefit from the focus that ourfaculty brings to these meetings as weconcentrate on curriculum mappingduring the professional day, and Iappreciate the scheduling logistics thatwe are asking of our Lower Schoolfamilies on this non-school day forour students. Having a full day ofcurriculum reflection in this fourthquarter of the school year allows forgreater momentum with the mappingprocess.I also appreciate the leadershipby the Faculty Academic Committeeand the Admin Team in bringing aboutthis important change to BerwickAcademy. Rather than taking an “if itain’t broke, don’t fi x it” mentality, wehave proactively anticipated futureneeds in this realm. In the end,the time and effort demands of thecurriculum documentation falls on thefaculty and I appreciate their hard workthroughout the current and upcomingyear as we continue our efforts to shapethe curriculum into a stream-lined map.Next year, I look forward to makingmeaningful use of our curriculum mapcomponents especially during timessuch as report card documentation andcurriculum night presentations.In summary, the curriculummapping process promotes anauthentic, on-going description of ourprogram. Because of its online fl uidity,it also helps us in avoiding gaps betweenthat which is specified in a curriculumguide and that which is actually beingtaught in the classrooms. This processof collecting, examining, improving,and spiraling our curriculum promotesa realistic and powerful approach tothe knowledge, skills, and assessmentpractices necessary for academicachievement.I introduced this 1791 entrywith a reference to “Seussical,” thisyear’s Lower School production, and Iwill conclude with the same focus. Iwant to thank everyone from MariaIsaak and the Lower School facultyand staff, the parent body, and fi nallyour fabulous group of students for thiswonderful production. From “On withthe show!” to “On with curriculummapping!”, I appreciate the LowerSchool’s energy and achievement atthis time of year.6 1791 Letter ~April 2010

Rob Quinn - Athletic DirectorAthletics NewsRESPONSIBILITY: LEARNING TO BEACCOUNTABLE AND DISCIPLINEDIn sports, athletes should beaccountable for their actions by takingresponsibility for their contributionsto a team. This is important because ifathletes can be conscientious of theiractions, teammates will learn to be moreunderstanding and trusting of eachother. This will then lead to studentsfeeling as though they can count oneach other both on and off the field.This type of reliability is developedwhen an athlete steps up to be a leaderby demonstrating his and her personalcommitment to the team. Therefore ifeach athlete works to improve himselfand herself individually, he and shewill then be able to work together andact with a higher level of collectiveresponsibility for the greater good ofthe team. Athletes win together andthey lose together. Teams functionbetter as a whole when each teammatetakes personal responsibility for hisor her mistakes and learns from them.Upper SchoolThat way, team members are moreunderstanding of one another anddo not let each other down. Successon an individual level feels good, butsuccess collectively feels even better.By learning to depend on each otherand becoming a dependable personeveryone benefits. It is importantthat there are players who place theirpersonal signature and investmentinto a team because creating a feelingof trust and support is the strongestkind of team. After all, the greatestcompliment athletes can receive is toknow that they can be counted on tocontribute their personal characterinto building a more fun, productiveteam atmosphere.Athletics BoostersNew Member Reception willtake place Thursday, April 22, 2010at 6:30 p.m. in the Berwick AcademyAthletic Center. All parents andcoaches are welcome to attend thisannual even. Enjoy an evening withbooster friends and families. Cocktailsand appetizers will be served. Bring aWINTER SPORTS AWARDS 2010friend and your name will be enteredin a drawing for a beautiful basket ofgoodies.Summer Camp Opportunities at BAAs we enter our second summerhosting SUSC camps, we continue tobuild on the strong relationship withSeacoast United and their soccer, fi eldhockey, and lacrosse camps. We alsowant to promote our Multi-sports DayCamp and our Dance Camps.Multi-Sports Day Camp:June 21-25 and June 28-July 2Dance CampJune 21-25 and June 28-July 2Seacoast United Camp Offerings:Boys Lacrosse Camp July 5-8Soccer Training AcademyJuly 12-15 & 19-22Girls Lacrosse & Field Hockey CampMiddle Schoolcontinued on pg 14. .Team MVP Coach’s Award Team Coach’s AwardsBoys Varsity Hockey Alex Devine Dylan Martini Co-ed Hockey Cameron ClairBoys JV Hockey Billy Leach Class of 2011 Girls Blue Bball Samantha SullivanGirls Varsity Hockey Lee Tsairis Chelsea Vanderlinde Boys Blue Bball Gabe EvensenGirls JV Hockey Jenny Scharff Jacqui Zannos Girls White Bball Liv GormanGirls Varsity Basketball Juliana Blais Nicole Kleinmann Boys White Bball Chris CoughlanGirls JV Bball Lily Hahn Rebecca Fetters Winter Fitness Kevin O’DayBoys Varsity Bball Harry Rafferty Emerson Bilodeau Strength & Conditioning Zoe AlexanderBoys JV1 Bball Joe Reid Max Linemayr Girls Spirit Award Suzanna BorgBoys JV2 Bball Joe Borg Jamie Meader Boys Spirit Award Josh DupontSkiing Nate Potter Maggie SutherlandSwimming Boys Sam WinterSwimming Girls Caroline Seekins Lydia Waldo1791 Letter ~ April 20107

you gotta have ArtsDeloris White - Fine Arts DirectorArts NewsARTS BOOSTERSBlue & White Weekend Sidewalk Art SaleStudents in the National ArtHonor Society, visual arts faculty, andmembers of Berwick’s Arts Boosters willhost the eighth annual Sidewalk ArtSale and Auction on Blue and WhiteWeekend, Saturday, May 8. This isthe Arts Boosters final fundraiser forthis school year. Students, faculty,and friends will donate art that will beexhibited throughout the day as SilentAuction items. The person placing thehighest final bid of the day will takehome an original piece of art. Lastyear, the art sale generated $1100 ofincome to the Arts Boosters. For bothyour convenience and to increaseinterest and awareness of this annualevent, we plan to have the auctionitems on display in the Arts CenterGallery/Lobby through May 21. In thepast, Arts Boosters funds have beenused to purchase cumber bunds, bowties, and t-shirts for music ensemblesas well as musical instruments, a flatfi le storage unit for the Upper Schoolstudio, photography equipment, andfunding for field trips. Please contactDeloris White if you are interested indonating a fine arts item or would liketo volunteer your time with this effort.Snack ShackThe Arts Boosters Snack Shackopened in early April and will be openon game days this year. We will beoffering our own lemonade, iced tea,popcorn, and ice cream sorbet. Pleasestop by for afternoon refreshments andto support the fi ne arts department.MUSICSwing into SpringPlans for the 2010 SpringSwing Music Concerts are underway.This year, Upper School students inthe various ensembles and choruseswill perform on Tuesday, May 18,during Spring Swing I. All seventh andeighth student musicians will performin Spring Swing II on Tuesday, May 25.Middle School musicians in all fi fthand sixth grade ensembles will presentSpring Swing III on Thursday, May 27.Each of the Spring Swing Concertsbegins at 7:00 p.m.Senior Arts NightMembers of the senior classwill participate in Senior Arts Night onThursday, May 20. Visual art studentswill exhibit their work in the lobbygallery opening at 6:30 p.m. followedby student performances in the theaterat 7:00 p.m.Festival NewsSeveral Berwick Academystudents participated in the NHStringfest at the Mountain ViewMiddle School in Goffstown on March27. Mahesh and Nikhil Agarwal,Isabella Oprandi, and Hannah VanZandt-Rollins played in OrchestraOne, which was conducted by SallyWituszynski. Samuel Beane playedin Orchestra Two. Hirsh Agarwal,Emily Barbour, Alexandra Blackwood,Jessica Hebert, Clayton Jacques, SarahKhan, Indigo Milne, Isabelle Salvati,and Emma Whall played in OrchestraFour.VISUAL ARTBarn GalleryThe OAC is pleased toannounce that the 32nd Annual StudentArt Show at the Ogunquit Barn Galleryon Bourne Lane in Ogunquit, Mainewill be held on May 8 and 9, 2010.There will be an opening receptionfor this weekend exhibit on Fridayafternoon, May 7, from 4:00 p.m. to6:00 p.m. and the gallery will be openon Saturday and Sunday from 1:00p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Berwick Academy artteachers will submit selected works ofart from students in all three divisions.The students selected to exhibit atthis show will be notified by theirteachers.Haystack Mountain School of CraftsAmelia Hazen will attendthe Student Craft Institute 2010 atHaystack Mountain School of Craftson Deer Isle, Maine, over MemorialDay Weekend to study glass. She willbe one of 70 student artists acrossthe state of Maine selected to attend.Alex Zannos has been selected as analternate and is hoping a space opens upfor her to attend as well. The programis a three-day intensive crafts programfor distinguished art students to studywith artists and craftspeople in Maine’sinternationally known craft facility andstudios. This year, Raegan Russell hasbeen invited to be a studio assistant.8 1791 Letter ~April 2010

BAPA Notes - from the BAPA Board MembersParents Association NewsPRESIDENT’S NOTESThe BAPA office is full ofenergy as we head into the fi nalcount down to our biggest event ofthe year. Our Community Benefit ishow BAPA raises the money to helpfund over 50 enrichment activitiesfor our children. The night not onlyprovides funding for our children’senrichment programs, but it alsogives our parents a fun and excitingnight to come together to celebrateour wonderful community. If thereis only one event on campus thatyou attend this year, please make itthe 2010 BAPA Benefi t Auction onSaturday, April 24. Catch up withold friends and meet new ones whileenjoying great food and drinks at theRed Barn at the Outlook. Show yoursupport and be a part of the Berwickcommunity. BAPA makes a criticaldifference to your child’s experienceon the Hilltop through programslike:- Leadership and community buildingthrough adventure programs likeMerrowvista- Social outlets such as dances,skating parties and coffee houses- Extracurricular explorations likefi eld trips and visiting authorsThere is still time to buytickets so please come. We lookforward to seeing you there. Thereare also so many volunteers, who arealways hard at work planning thelogistics and decorations, organizingclass gifts, and picking up auctionitems. It is a well-oiled machine thatyear after year never ceases to amazeand humble me. Thanks to everyonefrom the bottom of my heart.Do you Have Your Tuition Raffl e Ticket Yet?There are plenty of raffl etickets left. Tickets are $100 for achance at a $12,000 tuition credit.Thedrawing will be held at the auction, butyou don’t have to be present to win. Sodon’t delay, get your raffle ticket today.Can’t fi nd your raffl e form? Just go tothe auction homepage and downloadthe form or contact bapaauction@berwickacademy.org and one of ourvolunteers will be happy to assist you.Good luck!BAPA Auction Volunteer and Class RepLuncheonThis year’s luncheon isscheduled for 12:00 p.m. on May 20,with the location to be announced.Please look for invitations in the mail.We truly look forward to treating ourvolunteers to a nice day in order tothank them for all of their hard work.Next BAPA Meeting May 24,2010Don’t miss the last BAPAmeeting of the year. Rachel Salibawill present a brief history of BerwickAcademy. We will be voting on nextyear’s BAPA budget funded by theproceeds of the 2010 Auction. Classrep meetings will be held immediatelyfollowing the meeting to plan for nextyear’s back to school and early fallevents.Jean K. JarvisBAPA President1791 Letter ~ April 2010TREASURERS NOTESMarch 31, 2010INCOME:$48.90 William Arthur card saleTotal BAPA Income 2/1/10 – 3/31/10$48.90BAPA EXPENSES:$5,262.69 Scholastic books forLS book fairLower School$102.17 Lower schoolproduction costumesupplies$548.00 LS skating partyTOTAL LS $650.17MIDDLE SCHOOL$317.76 Enrichment – Wineand cheese at parentforum$145.00 Enrichment – Pizzaparty for Grade 6with US Bio HonorsClass$350.00 Grade 7 and Grade 8spring social – DJ$167.00 Ski Trip UHaulTOTAL MS $979.76UPPER SCHOOL$175.94 Clubs/Extracurricular– Supplies for pep rally- Blue and White Week$47.87 Clubs/Extracurricular– Lassiter postage andshipping$26.09 Clubs/Extracurricular– Foreign Film Club$1,224.00 Senior Activities – SeniorMugs order 2010TOTAL US $1,473.90TOTAL BAPA EXPENSES 2/1/10– 3/31/10$8,366.52NET BAPA EXPENSES 12/31/09 – 1/31/10$8,317.62Nancy Noyesnnoyes@comcast.netBAPA Treasurercontinued...9

have to be present to win. Look for the Tuition Raffle ticket order form in the downloads section of the BAPA portal.Exciting Addition to the Silent AuctionOne very exciting addition to our Community Benefit will be the use of a handheld bidding device called the IML.This exciting technology has been commonplace in many “big-city” auctions throughout the country. IML has been at theforefront of innovative, interactive event technologies since 1991, supporting more than 2,000 events worldwide each year.IML’s presence at the BAPA Community Benefi t will provide guests with a paperless bidding system, allowing them to entertheir bids via the easy-to-use IML communicator keypad. This will free people from standing around tables and writing downbids on clipboard paper. On entering their bids, guests are immediately informed if they hold the highest bid or if they havealready been outbid, generating a fun and competitive bidding environment. We are thrilled to be bringing this technology toour BAPA Community Benefit.Lesli Frielm.friel@comcast.netSTUDENT ARTWORK ON CAMPUSThe 2010 Berwick Academy Students’ Art Show has been hung for display. There are 30 framed works of art, from photography,to watercolor, to markers and crayon. There are superlative works from artists of each division. Works are hung in prominent areasaround campus. Please try seeing the artwork and congratulating our artists.UPPER SCHOOLAndrew WaterhouseCommons LobbyCamden CarterFogg Upper School “Pit”Ellie PenatiJeppesen main stairwellJuliana BlaisBurleigh Davidson LobbyGage KennieBurleigh Davidson LobbyKatie ToweyFogg Upper School “Pit”Katie MarshFogg Upper School “Pit”Kyle MullaneyFogg Upper School “Pit”Sam AutyCommons LobbyJamie MeaderFogg Upper School “Pit”MIDDLE SCHOOLMia BriggsBurleigh Davidson LobbySam NoyesMiddle School Great RoomAria SatishAthletic Center LobbyAnna CroninJeppesen main stairwellAlex GassnerMiddle School Great RoomEric RawnAthletic Center LobbyShannon HaleyMiddle School Great RoomTaylor KnoxMiddle School Great RoomSarah Marino-BabcockMiddle School Great RoomPeter ScharerMiddle School Great RoomLOWER SCHOOLPierce WoodKatz Lower School LibraryEllie WheltonKatz Lower School LibraryCrosby SmithCommons LobbyBryce MoralesKatz Lower School LibraryMitchel VarleyKatz Lower School LibraryMolly Van CampenBurleigh Davidson LobbyCalvin SoaresKatz Lower School LibraryCharlotte NoerdlingerAthletic Center LobbySophia EstesJeppesen main stairwell2010 Volunteers are: Jeannie Brett, Donna Borg, Katie Clark, Jessica Gasc, Robin Merrow, and Christine Duprez-Young.1791 Letter ~ April 201011

Cindy Briggs - School CounselorWellness NewsAPRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTHApril has been designatedas Alcohol Awareness month by theUnited States Department of Healthand Human Services and SAMHSA(Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration) to recognizethe seriousness of alcohol abuse in theUnited States. According to a studyreleased by the federal governmentjust last month, more than one-quarter(27.6 percent) of American youth aged12 to 20 said that they drank alcohol inthe past month The National Surveyon Drug Use and Health also foundthat underage drinking rates were ashigh as 40% in some states. It is wellknown that alcohol is the most widelyused substance among Americanyouth and contributes to the threeleading causes of death among 12-to 20-year olds: unintentional injury,murder, and suicide. Research alsoshows that people who begin drinkingbefore the age of 15 are six timesmore likely to have alcohol problemsthan those who start drinking at age21 or older. According to SAMHSA,underage drinking is becoming anational crisis and prevention is thekey to stopping it. SAMHSA alsobelieves, and I wholeheartedly agree,that parents need to play a huge role inany prevention model. Parent input iscritical to adolescent decision-makingabout alcohol and other drugs. Eventhough we may not believe it, ouradolescents are listening and watchingto see if our messages and actionsaround alcohol are consistent. Weneed to be clear about our expectationsregarding underage drinking, drinkingand driving, and experimentation withother drugs.Berwick Academy is on boardwith Alcohol Awareness month andcommitted to educating our studentsabout alcohol and other drugs. FromTuesday, April 13 through Friday, April16 two FCD (Freedom from ChemicalDependency) facilitators will be onour campus to work with students ingrades 4, 7, 8, 9, and 12. This is FCD’sseventh year providing substanceabuse education to Berwick Academy.In fact, Stephanie Haines, the Lowerand Middle School facilitator andGeorge Brown, the Upper Schoolfacilitator, have become regular visitorsto the Hilltop. This will be Stephanie’ssixth year and George’s fourth yearfacilitating this program at BerwickAcademy. The benefit of their longevityis their ability to interact with studentsthey taught four years ago as fourthgraders or freshmen!Stephanie will be facilitating afour-day educational program with ourGrade 7 students, a one-day programwith our Grade 4 students, and aseminar focusing on transitioning tohigh school with our Grade 8 students.George will be facilitating a four-dayeducational program with our Grade 9students and a seminar on transitioningto college with our seniors.Parents also have theopportunity to be a part of the FCDprogram. On Tuesday, April 13Stephanie will be hosting a parentinformation session at 7:00 p.m. in theCommons Lounge. This evening isopen to parents of students in grades7 through 12. On Wednesday, April14 Stephanie will be hosting a Grade 4student-parent night in the CommonsLounge at 6:30 p.m. George will bepicking up where Stephanie leavesoff on Thursday, April 15 by hostinga grade 9 Student-Parent RoundtableDiscussion at 7:00 p.m. on the 3rdfl oor of Fogg Memorial. I encourageall parents to attend their respectiveevenings. Not only will you beprovided with pertinent informationabout alcohol and other drugs, butmore importantly you will be sendinga clear message to your children thatthis is an important topic.Sincerely,Cindy BriggsStatistical information is fromwww.samhsa.gov12 1791 Letter ~April 2010

Rachel Saliba - School ArchivistArchives NewsCLASS FLAGS, A PRISONER,A LADDER, AND ROPEEvery once in a while I comeacross stories in the archives that arejust too good to keep to myself. Thefollowing is an excerpt from the bookletentitled “The Berwick Academy Reviewand Class Day,” edited by John FernaldHodgdon, BA Class of 1888, about the1888 school year and the tradition ofClass Colors:The colors of ’89 did not staythere “just the same,” but came downon the 11th to make a vacancy for‘88’s colors to fill. Eighty-eight hasone thing to say to the class of ’89, aquestion to ask: whose colors stayedon the Academy long enough to fade?The class colors were as follows:SeniorsSapphire Blue and SalmonIn case you were wondering,the Board of Trustees voted that bluebe the color of Berwick Academy in1904. I am not sure when the traditionof class colors ended. However, I doknow that there were many traditionsat BA that encouraged class pride andrivalry – but that is another story.It is now my duty and pleasureto mention the most exciting period ofthe past year. This year, for the firsttime in the history of Berwick Academy,the building has been crowned with afl ag. On Wednesday morning, May9, there appeared, to those toilingup the hill, a flag made of ‘88’s classcolors. Eighty-eight was very proudof this emblem and even some of hermembers sat up all night to watch thestreamers. There was many an excitingscene in the Academy the night of May9, prisoners, ropes, ladders, cold water,Seniors, Juniors, flags, etc., all mixedtogether. However, ‘88’s colors, inspite of so much confusion remainedtill morning as did also the pride of’88. The saying “Pride must have a fall”was verified at breakfast time May 10.The Senior colors came down and theJuniors’ went up. A little stanza in TheBerwick Scholar about this time wasvery expansive. It was somewhat asfollows:The Seniors sat up all nightWith their eyes on the weather-vane,The Juniors didn’t sit up at all,But “they got there just the same.”JuniorsElectric Blue and LemonSophomoresMahogany and Nile GreenFreshmanGreenest GreenThe article in The BerwickScholar that Hogdon referred to helpsto explain his Hogdon reference to“prisoners, ropes and ladders:”. . . During the operations of ‘89’srepresentatives, suddenly one foundhimself a prisoner in the belfry, perfectlyhelpless. Others were on the ground,intently watching the ladder hangingmotionless on the side of the building,and wondering “why it did not go up.”Several members of ’88 however, knew“why it did not go up.” The rope wasnot in the belfry but fastened securelyin the window below. After holdingthe prisoner of ’89 for a few hours, hewas liberated upon the condition thathe should return home peaceably. (TheBerwick Scholar, May 1888)“This year, for the fi rst time in the history of BerwickAcademy, the building has been crowned with afl ag.” In 1888, Berwick Academy consisted of justone building – the 1853 Building – located whereFogg is today on approximately 10 acres of land. .1791 Letter ~ April 201013

HEAD OF SCHOOL NEWS...cont. from pg 3exciting new position in the publishingindustry as of April 5, and we will misshis warmth and care in our Lower SchoolScience and Technology programs.Judith Claveau has also decided to stepaway from her role as Assistant to theHead of School, and I will obviouslymiss her warmth and support in somany ways. However, I am pleased toannounce that Colleen Meader willreplace Judith in this office as of July1. We plan to engage in a search fora replacement in development in thecoming weeks.Enrollment ContractsI am pleased to report thatre-enrollment contracts are coming infar more swiftly this year, so I wouldencourage all families to be sure to bein communication with Diane Fieldand/or Seth Hurd about your plansfor next year, as we need to be able tomanage our waitlist appropriately toattract the highest quality students inthe Seacoast.MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS...cont. from pg 5Raffalli of Boston Children’s Hospitalpublished a blog on the hospital websitein which he wrote, “It is high time thatbullying is no longer dismissed as just arite of passage in growing up. Bullyingis a form of abuse victimization andmany studies have shown the negativehealth impact of bullying, both shortand long-term, on our kids. At the sametime, the literature has also pointed topoor outcomes psychologically andsocially for the bullies themselves.”(http://childrenshospitalblog.org/bullying-and-cyberbullying-beneaththe-radar-no-more/)The call to armsby the American Academy of Pediatrics,the U.S. Health and ResourcesAdministration, and MARC is one thateach of us should not ignore. Allowingbullies to continue their aggressionreinforces their anti-social behaviors.Encouraging victims to maintainsilence reinforces victimization habits.Where I struggle, and my guessis that many of you do as well, comesfrom calming down when the sky seemsto be falling. Here is what I can measureand observe in our Middle School. Ourstudents are good at whistle blowing.They know when something has gonewrong and they talk about it. Theyseek help. Parents in our communityare good models of identifying wrongsand alerting us. Our faculty respondsto what we can see and hear. We relyupon parents and students to keep usinformed so that we may act. As soonas a credible report arrives at school,it becomes a school problem, evenif the behaviors happened outsideof our hilltop. The best deterrent tobullying is to not present oneself as aneasy mark or victim. Each one of uscan model the integrity necessary toidentify something wrong, to name it,and to seek justice. The laws are beingwritten; we need to exhibit the courageto rely upon them.ATHLETIC NEWS...cont. from pg 7August 2-5SUSC Junior AcademyPre-season CampAugust 23-26Courtside Café “Thank You”I would like to thank everyonein the Berwick Community whoworked in the Courtside Cafe thisseason. Through your efforts weraised over $1000.00 for the AthleticBoosters. If I leave anyone off thislist, please accept my apology. It is afunction of poor record keeping – nota lack of gratitude! Thank you to:Christine Hawkins, Janice Ziemba,Sue Downey, Mary Towey, WarrenGoldblatt, Marla Katz, DanielaLinemayr, Kate Harris, Shelley Smith,Deb Dupont, Betsy Coughlan, JenniferSaulnier, Diane Wheeler, DeborahWalden, Tracy Satish, Theresa Holmes,Donna Bethke-Borg, Erin Brin, JohnBement, and Joel Hawes. A specialthank you to Sandra Jalbert, MelissaJasper, Kit McCormick, and Phil andAnn Hahn who were willing to bail meout multiple times and worked many,many shifts. I am grateful to all ofyou!-Paula ReidOff The HilltopKeith Hope, a junior atBerwick Academy recently attendedthe NEMA (New England MotocrossAssociation) Motocross AwardsBanquet in Sturbridge MA. Keithreceived 4 trophies in recognition ofhis achievements in the 2009 NEMAMotocross Series. NEMA holdsMotocross races all over New Englandstarting in April and ending in October.Keith recorded 3 second place fi nishesand one third place finish in the falland spring Champion Series.14 1791 Letter ~April 2010

GRANDPARENTS DAY-MAY 7,2010!Each year all grandparents are invited to campus for the day to attend classes, see a fine artsprogram, and have lunch with their grandsons and granddaughters. This year Grandparents Daywill be held on Friday, May 7, 2010. We understand that it is sometimes difficult or impossiblefor grandparents to attend this day and so we would like to extend the invitation to students tobring an adult special friend for the day. Please contact Colleen Meader at 207-384-2164 (x2306)to update all grandparent addresses or to provide the name and mailing information of a specialfriend. Invitations have been mailed and many Grandparents are ready to attend classes on May7, 2010. Please refer to the schedule below and talk to your children about their daily schedule.Grandparents visiting students inKindergarten—Grade 68:00 Continental BreakfastUnder the tent8:45 Welcome From Head of SchoolUnder the tent9:00 Theatrical PerformanceWhipple Arts Center Theater9:45 Off to the ClassroomsEscorted by Volunteers11:15 Lower School LunchThe Commons (Grades K-4)12:05 Middle School LunchThe Commons (Grades 5&6)Grandparents visiting students inGrade 7—Grade 128:00 Continental BreakfastUnder the tent8:45 Welcome From Head of SchoolUnder the tent9:00 Off to the ClassroomsEscorted by Grandchildren11:00 Theatrical PerformanceWhipple Arts Center Theater12:05 Middle School LunchThe Commons (Grades 7&8)12:45 Upper School LunchThe Commons (Grades 9-12)VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!Hosting 300 or more Grandparents and Special Friends takes the work of many volunteers! Ifyou would like to be a Grandparents Day Volunteer please check the listing of opportunitiesbelow and contact Kellie Varano at kvarano@berwickacademy.org or 207.384.2164 ext. 2303.Volunteer Positions Include:Greeters • Theater Ushers • Commons Dining Hall AssistantsFor more information on what each position entails visit theAnnouncements section on the Parent Portal.1791 Letter ~ April 201015

Jedd Whitlock - Director of AdvancementAlumni and Development NewsDear Berwick Community,2009 – 2010 ANNUAL FUND UPDATE: YOUR PHILANTHROPY MATTERS!As we make the fi nal push towards Commencement, I am encouraged to report the Annual Fund stands atjust over $512,000. We are slightly ahead of last year, but these last few months will be critical in reaching this allimportant goal. The simple truth is that we can not do it with out your help.Parent participation stands around 50% which is also slightly ahead of last year. Please remember that ourfundraising goal for this year is $575,000 and our participation goal is 65%. I thought that you might be interested toknow that alumni participation is up 62% from this time last year and past parent participation is up almost 58%. Asuccessful Annual Fund is truly a community effort, and I remain grateful for the generosity from parents, past parents,grandparents, alumni, faculty and staff and friends of Berwick. With the support of the entire community, Berwick willbe able to continue to offer a top educational experience that will impact our students for generations to come.If you have not done so already, I hope that you will consider including Berwick among your philanthropicpriorities by making a gift to the 2009-2010 Annual Fund today. Annual Fund contributions enrich every area ofcampus life and may be directed to the following areas:Financial AidVisual and Performing ArtsAthleticsMath and ScienceTechnologyReading and Language ArtsOnline giving is available at www.berwickacademy.org/giving. If you like to be included in this year’s AnnualFund and the 2009-2010 Celebrating Philanthropy Report, gifts and pledges must be made by June 30.Gifts at all levels are needed and appreciated and impact every student, every day. Thank you!Best regards,Jedd Whitlock16 1791 Letter ~April 2010