Fenn Spring Bulletin 3-07 R1 - Fenn School

TheFENNBulletinVOLUME 75 NUMBER 1 SPRING 2007Features2BOYS’ SCHOOLS: NURTURING BOYS, SHAPING MENpage 5page 185UNDERSTANDING THE UNIQUENESS OF A BOY’S EDUCATION12FENN AND THE INTERNATIONAL BOYS’ SCHOOL COALITION13THE WONDERS OF SINGLE-SEX EDUCATION14BOYS’ BRAINS AND LEARNING STYLESDepartmentspage 28Editor John B. WalshDesign Michele PageContributorsJeri L. GoetzJoAnna JamesonDrew B. JamesonTed MacMahonDaniel G. PageSusan L. RichardsonJohn B. Walsh18 Faculty Profiles: David Irwin, Allegra Devon20 Philanthropy at Fenn21 Nancy Beaulieu: Helping Sustain a Personal Community22 Fenn Campus Roundup28 Thanksgiving Reunion 200630 Class Notes and MilestonesPhotographyGustav FreedmanSusan L. RichardsonAnthony J. SantosJohn B. WalshPlease send changeof address to:Alumni OfficeThe Fenn School516 Monument StreetConcord, MA 01742-1894978-318-3600alumni@fenn.orgwww.fenn.org

y John WalshChallenges and Rewards:Understanding the Uniquenessof a Boy’s EducationThe Headmaster’s office is bright with light from the climbing sun of a mild, latewinter afternoon but the aspect that most impresses one’s senses at this moment is thedistinctive sound of a boy’s feet slapping on the pavement outside the open window. Itis a most ordinary sound, regularly repeated during a school day at Fenn, but onethat also gives a lot away about this place. There’s no mistaking the rapid firefootfalls of a boy. The rubber treads of his Nikes strike the ground flatfooted and thenoise is beyond the size and bulk of its author. He is running. They all run here. Theyaren’t generally late. It is not day’s end and classes are not out. He is running to class.He runs because he is a boy. It has something to do with restless energy, physicalityand at Fenn it is because, very often indeed, the boys really want to go to class.As the small boy with the big feet disappears into aschool building, the point is not missed as the conversationcontinues. Headmaster Jerry Ward has been discussing anissue that has once again come to the top of the news cycle.A government-sponsored panel issued guidelines opening upnew possibilities for schools to offer single-sex educationalprograms. Over the last few decades this has been a muchdebatedand oftentimes controversial issue. This time, as thepublic conversation picked up media energy, a voice fromFenn was heard through an editorial opinion piece writtenby Lorraine Garnett Ward, Chair of Fenn’s EnglishDepartment, the headmaster’s wife, and mother of threesons who was on medical leave from her school duties.That the article was timely is an understatement. TheNew York Times, parent company of The Boston Globe,disseminated the piece through its news service and it wasreprinted in The International Herald Tribune, drawingattention from around the world. The article was evenquoted in a prominent news service covering the Vatican.Lorraine’s views issued from her deep personal reflectionduring therapy for breast cancer, her perspectives as aneducator and, most especially, from her experience of Fennas a place that allows boys to be themselves throughouttheir education here.5

Boys and their educationFrom its founding Fenn has been fundamentallydedicated to forming boys with an awareness and love ofboys as they are themselves. Perhaps Fenn came from acertain boyishness and sense of adventure in Roger Fennhimself. It might have been his storied love of nature andhis camp experiences. It could have been his sense of funas an indispensable element in the learning process. It wasprobably a combination of all these things, along with thepractical need for a private middle school for boys, but heclearly possessed a keen instinct for the best ways to reachboys and, along with his likeminded colleagues, heestablished a school that sought to exploit the distinctivequalities and quirks of the young male during a criticalstretch of the boy’s development.As Jerry Ward pointed out, Fenn is not defensiveconcerning its status as an all boys’ school. We are evenless interested in a polemical battle that pits the two sexesagainst each other in the world of education. It justhappens that this is what Fenn is and this is what we dowell. Several generations of Fenn graduates now attest tothe benefits of their Fenn experience and it is a good timeto explore the topic for Bulletin readers.During a time when society grew somewhat worriedabout stereotypical elements of male culture such asaggression, competition, rowdiness and violence, Fennstayed true to a vision and a program that, while certainlyworking to channel male energy, refused to pathologize alltypically male behaviors. Woven throughout the Fenneducation is the consciousness of who boys really are inthemselves. Techniques are adapted to our boys’ learningstyles and life rhythms while always emphasizing each boyas a unique individual. Here, as at other successful boys’schools, there exists a boys’ school aesthetic which orientsour program. We build on this strong foundation with ourcommitment to a continued interaction with eachindividual student.Admissions: First Encounter with an All Boys’ SchoolLori Kugler is the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Fenn. She explains that thereason for choosing an all boys’ school varies from family to family. “The issue of single-sexeducation has different degrees of importance or concern for parents. In the minority arethose who come to Fenn looking specifically for an all boys’ school. For them it usuallycomes from their assessment of their own child and knowing with a high degree ofconfidence what benefits are available for him in this setting. Often one or both parents hashad an experience of single-sex education in their own lives. They found it valuable and areseeking it out for their son.” The majority of applicant families are looking at Fenn becauseof its reputation of providing a high quality education in a small, personal community setting.6

Boys and their education“As they progress through application, they get to know Lori’s interview method itself gives some insight into the waysFenn and its particular mission fairly well so that thethat boys typically respond which Fenn takes into account.centrality of its identity as a boys’ school is not lost,” Lori This method also highlights the paradox that repeats itselfexplains. For a few there are some doubts about single-sex throughout a boy’s journey through Fenn. At Fenn, alongeducation and, in these cases, Lori notes that she welcomes with all the best pedagogical practices, we work to developthe opportunity to explain the benefits available in a place the emotional intelligence of boys. “Boys tend to mask thatthat values boys precisely as boys, that knows how to exploit more than girls.” Lori describes some aspects of the studenttheir “boyness” while bringinginterview, “We look for the breadth of hisout other “softer,” expressiveand emotional aspects whichhelp in forming the “wholeboy,” and to be sure a “wholeman” later in life.The more technical approaches“We look for the breadth of hisinterests. We try to teaseout his willingnessto try new things.”to the admissions procedures at Fenn are also highlyinfluenced by an all boys’ school’s approach. Lori mentions a“kind of lens” we use that describes our approach to seeingeach applicant for a match which will be of benefit both tothe applicant and Fenn. She cites an example. “We take asomewhat nuanced look at the confidential teacherrecommendations that come in for each boy. We occasionallysee comments on strengths and weaknesses that might saysomething about a boy being ‘overly competitive.’ That traitmay stand out more in a coed environment whereas here, inan all male student body, we see this as something that can bechanneled, not as a disqualifier.”interests. We try to tease out hiswillingness to try new things. Weask about family, friends and howthey feel about applying to a newschool. It’s not about a lot ofwords or emotional displays.Some of the applicants arepersons of few words but with anemotional honesty that reveals thepotential for a match with Fenn, where we look for boyswho will take healthy risks, academically, artistically andathletically.” The application process, like a Fenn education,involves people who work hard to make the boy feel safe andsecure in communicating his concerns along with hisenthusiasms, goals and ambitions. Lori also takes note thatthe candidate for admissions is here as well to evaluate Fenn.An encounter that frees him for a fuller self-expression willalso enhance his discernment.7

Boys and their educationLower School: Across the ThresholdBob Duncan is an Assistant Headmaster and Head of the Lower School at Fenn. Bob’sexperiences teaching boys and helping to structure their school experience is counted indecades. He is a nephew of Roger Fenn and saw three of his own sons graduate from Fenn.His perspectives on young boys, what makes them tick and how to teach them areformidable. When asked to expand on the theme of Fenn as a boys’ school he describes thetraits that stand out as they come through the doors their first days. “I think the mostnoticeable trait is their sense of action. They come in here as do-ers. I mean they have anapproach that definitely involves putting their hands on everything. They also talk about thetopic as soon as it’s broached. There is little standing backand observing.” Typical boys at this age also exhibit a strongtendency toward immediacy. It should not be classified asimpatience, according to Bob. It is a strong attraction to getinvolved at once when something captures their attention.“As I observe them, I’d say that being technically involvedwith the subject matter is an important part of being a youngboy. Learning how to do that appropriately is the thing. Wecan teach to that aspect while also showing them, over time,how to control this energy.”The Lower School program has a definite rhythm thatgenerally moves in synch with the natural physicality andattention span of a young boy. The schedule moves betweenacademic areas and activity throughout the day. Bob explainsthat the day’s progress from advisor period to class, to AllSchool Meeting, to recess, to classand on, keeps the boys moving,but more importantly, providesadequate transitions allowingthem to refocus for the nextchallenge.On a more philosophicalnote, Bob points out an area offormation where the all boys’environment is extremelyvaluable. It might seem ironic to some that an allmale student body turns out to be an ideal settingto help develop a high degree of emotionalliteracy but he indicates that this is a key aspect for Fenn andit begins as soon as the students cross the threshold. “I thinkthere is a cultural view that there are really only two mainways to succeed: academically or athletically. You need toteach them that there are ways to enjoy real success beyondthese obvious areas. At Fenn the opportunities exist where aboy can find and learn to appreciate his own success in theart studio, on stage, in a band or chorus, or through writingand poetry. Boys have a freedom to express aspects of theirpersonalities that might seem riskier in another setting.”Boys entering the Lower School also arrive with a “tightlydefined male sense of humor” and while humor is definitelyappreciated and used in teaching, here Fenn also tries toteach boys how to laughat themselves. This issomething that is notalways easy in the earlystages of male egodevelopment. Whenasked how this can be taught, Bob replies that it can bebrought about by “giving them permission to make amistake and permission to ask for help. Both of these thingsprobably come more naturally to girls.” These are the sameattitudes, the same emotional intelligences that are criticalfor their full functioning as persons, parents and citizens inthe future.“You need to teach them thatthere are ways to enjoy realsuccess beyond these obvious areas.”8

Boys and their educationMiddle School: Subtle Little Pieces of MachineryBoys during their middle school years are viewed by many teachers as a species to beavoided. Patricia McCarthy, Fenn’s Middle School Head, tells of friends who marvel at herchoice to spend the greater part of her day in their company. In answering them she oftenrecalls the words of William James when, in 1892, he spoke to a group of teachers inCambridge. She can recite the quote verbatim. “I cannot but think that to apperceiveyour pupil as a sensitive, impulsive, associative and reactiveorganism, partly fated and partly free, will lead to a betterunderstanding of him. Understand him, then, as such asubtle little piece of machinery. And if, in addition, you canalso see him sub specie boni, and love him as well, you willbe in the best possible position to becomingperfect teachers.”Teaching boys during these critical,tumultuous years of adolescence issomething one has to love, not justendure, according to Tricia. She speaksof a special appreciation of them in alltheir “raucousness” and “messiness”that adds not only a certain color andcharm to the work, but also a numberof “handles” that an educator can grasp in moving the boyforward. She shares an observation. “Lower Schoolers are stillvery justice based. They pretty much follow the rulesinstinctively. If Middle School guys find one crack in yourperformance, they will be through it like liquid! They lovegetting you distracted. They are positively impish when theythink they have pulled you away from the lesson plan andonto a personal story of some incident or other. They see it asa game and they want tobelieve they are winning.” Sherecalls one recent seventh gradelesson analyzing a poem aboutthe emotions of an immigrantas a stranger in the U.S. Theclass immediately seized theopportunity when she made an off-hand mention of her ownexperiences living in Belize. Drawing her into several storiesrelating her personal feelings as the outsider in another land,they were delighted to pass class time believing that they weregetting away with something. “In reality, we were never offtopic and I was able to bring it all back to the poem. They“Teaching boys during these critical,tumultuous years ofadolescence is something onehas to love, not just endure.”9

Boys and their educationbecame engaged and we enjoyed a lively discussion. Theylearned and we all had fun!”According to Tricia, at Fenn we have leeway to meetboys as they are and where they are in their personaldevelopment. Typical adolescent male attributes can perhapsappear as threats in a coed program which is weighted towardserving the more generally cooperative, relatively easy-to-teachgirls. As author Michael Thompson has written, there can be adanger that boys might pick up that perception and concludethat they are somehow “broken.” This in turn may play intosocietal stereotypes of males as “tough guys” along with itsextreme expression in the “violent male” persona.“Boys have a rich inner life and complex emotionalstructures. As an English teacher, I can tell you that boys havea tremendous capacity for empathy that emerges in discussionsabout literary characters. That will come out more readily in aplace where they worry less about their peers’ reaction,especially if those peers are girls,” she adds.Throughout Tricia’s reflections about the art of teachingboys at a single-sex school a sense of the work emerges thatalways refers to the bemusement, enchantment and the spiritof fun that arises from the encounter. “There is an awesomemixture inside the soul of a Middle School boy. By the timethey arrive in Upper School they are on the verge of becomingyoung men. At this stage though, they still want to jump inpuddles one day and crawl onto their mother’s lap the next.They want to be the authority when the group is discussingsome subject, but they still kiss their dad when they think noone is looking. We want to give them the opportunities to doall of these things as they explore their possibilities.”Upper School: Stepping Outside the Comfort ZonePeter Bradley is the Head of Fenn’s Upper School comprising grades eight and nine. These arecritical stages in a boy’s life that Peter characterizes as an “age of discovery” and he adds,“This can cut both ways. You may discover that you are a good artist while also discoveringthat you will not be the star quarterback you always assumed you would be.” He believes Fenn,as an all boys’ school, has distinct advantages for the student during this stage of his journey.Peter first points to an obvious fact. The absence of them to step outside of their comfort zone. It works becausegirls in school means that a major distraction for boys at we know how to tap into their ‘boy-ness’ without themthis age is not present. The samewould be true in an all girls’ school.There is potential here for boys tobroaden the possibilities of theirlives without the burdens of ourmodern society’s pressure toexaggerate certain male traits whileneglecting other potential talents or pathways. “There is awell-established culture here where boys, especially in thehigher grades, understand that it’s more than OK to be anastronomer, historian, artist, musician or poet as well as anathlete.” Peter notes that Fenn does not hold the copyrightto this benefit but he does that believe that the school had itright from the start in 1929.Ideally, the student in his Upper School years isreprising many of the habits and perspectives he hasabsorbed over his time here. There is a strong interplaybetween the natural risk-taking and adventurous personalityof the typical young male and the strong challenges Fennissues them as leaders in the school community. “We ask“We ask them to step outside of theircomfort zone. It works because weknow how to tap intotheir ‘boy-ness’ . . . ”having to look over their shoulders tosee how girls regard them or havingthe need to let competition for thatattention influence theirinteraction with other males.”In terms of their inner selvesand their natural inclinations,Peter believes that a lot of theirself-discovery is already donewhen they move on from Fenn.“That can be a real advantagesince most of the guys go on tocoed schools. They’ve been challenged to take a paint brushor potter’s clay in hand. They have read, recited and writtenpoetry or played a musical instrument. They have also shota basket, hit a ball or absorbed a hit in a football game.They are aware that men also have an emotional side andthat there are appropriate ways to articulate that. It seemsto work out pretty well for the boys.”10

Boys and their educationPlacement: The Next Big StepDerek Boonisar is the Director of Secondary School Placement. A discussion with himabout the advantages of an all boys’ school is in many ways a reprise of the conversationswith the previous commentators. As a coach and teacher, he already knows the boys welland he has seen the ways that the program has worked for them.Derek believes that some kids are “natural positiverisk takers” and tend to assume leadership roles without alot of prodding. Boys in general, though, need to build upconfidence around this. In a single-sex environment we arebetter able to focus their minds without the kind ofdistractions that stimulate a lot of the male posturing thatcan occur, especially at the Upper School level, during atime of huge changes in their minds and bodies. Thepayoff comes when boys face the next big step on theirjourney to manhood. “Whether applying to independentschools or preparing to move on to some excellent,challenging public high schools, our boys have awonderful range of passions, skills and a talent thatspeaks to what Fenn has done for them.”It’s a fascinating thing to see how the boys react as boysthroughout the placement process. There is a whole spectrumof emotion that comes with the realization that they are, infact, going to leave Fenn for a larger world and newchallenges. Derek notes that the “competitive juices” reallykick in when school visits begin. “When they see the campusand walk the halls they get an idea that this is something theywant. They usually come back charged up and reinvigorated.It’s a real male thing of seeing what we want and wanting togo get it right away.”Still, given the ways that they have learned to regardthese natural instincts, this does not manifest itself as a senseof driving competition against their classmates. “In myexperience, the boys have a wonderful way of pulling foreach other. They care deeply about their classmates in waysthat incorporate classic male virtues: teamwork, camaraderieand loyalty.”In the end thatmay be the besttestimony to whatFenn, precisely as anall boys’ school, offerseach boy who passesout our doors on the“The payoff comes whenboys face the next bigstep on their journey tomanhood.”way to manhood. He was welcomed here as a child withall the endearing, challenging, admirable and sometimesinfuriating things that make up “boyness.” These things werenot just tolerated. They were certainly not seen as things tobe cured or banished from his soul. They were the things thatopened the door to his education, the formation of the“whole boy.” In their formation as “whole boys” theirmentors have been confident thatincorporating and expressing their emotionalside and inner lives will make them betterpoliticians, scientists, doctors, carpenters,historians, teachers and fathers. These arethe young men—the poetic, literate,cultured, athletic and sentimental ones—wesee embracing each other and their teacherseach graduation day at the Fenn School.11

Boys and their educationFenn and theInternational Boys’ School CoalitionRoger Fenn, the School’s founder, understood theparticular ways that boys develop and learn; heknew instinctively the best ways to respond to thechallenges inherent in attempting to educate them. Hissense of the joy and fun to be had in teaching boys createda strong culture at Fenn that, over the years, has continuedto provide channels for the brimming energy as well as theoften overlooked emotional currentsthat fill their hearts, heads and bodies.With the passage of time andchanges in society, some began toquestion the rationale for schools thatserve only boys. Laudatory efforts toincrease the quality of girls’ educationmade great progress. Meanwhile, someassumed that the needs of boys werewell met and required little attention. Itwas at this juncture that asmall group of school headsand admissions officers beganto meet to discuss issuesaround schools dedicated toteaching boys. This somewhatinformal gathering ofeducators planned a moreformal and ambitiousconference for proponents ofboys’ schools from all over theworld which took place on thecampus of the Belmont HillSchool in Belmont, MAduring a weekend in late June1993, a day that FennHeadmaster Jerry Ward recallsas “brutally hot.”“There were discussionsabout the educationalphilosophy and the craft ofteaching but this was also heldat a time when a growingnumber of all male schoolswere going coeducational,”Jerry explained. With the“Fenn’s participation is theproduct of its three-quartersof a century’s experiencehelping boys to navigate thepath to full manhood.”Fenn School participating as a founding member, attendeesdecided to form the organization that has since become theInternational Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC). RichardHawley, Headmaster of the University School in ShakerHeights, OH was elected the first president.Fenn’s participation is the product of its three-quartersof a century’s experience helping boys to navigate the pathto full manhood. The School is thuswell equipped in articulating thevision of Roger Fenn in the contextof a broader educational movement.“We were making an earnest attemptto promote understanding of, supportfor, and the relevance of boys’schools on the internationallandscape. When the organizationwas first proposed it resonatedstrongly with us. It was,and remains, importantthat people recognizeboys’ schools as a relevantoption,” Jerry noted.The IBSC has grownto include over 150school members from 12countries on 5 continents.Fenn continues as anunderwriting member ofthe IBSC. Facultymembers and staff haveattended its annualconferences, frequentlyoffering variouspresentations andworkshops. This year’sannual conference occursat the Roxbury LatinSchool in Boston, MA.With the fortunategeographical proximity, alarge Fenn delegation isexpected to be on hand.12

Boys and their educationThe Wonders of Single-Sex EducationLate last fall there was another series of school shootings was also a special tenderness that came from the boys. Shewhich raised the familiar line of questions aboutexperienced a kind of sweetness from the boys that sheviolence and young males. While on medical leave from thought was made more likely in an all boys’ school.her school duties, Lorraine Garnett Ward, Fenn’s EnglishDepartment chair and wife of the Headmaster, penned aheartfelt and incisive editorial for The Boston Globe whichpointed out the advantages of single-sex education. (TheWonders of Single-Sex Education, Boston Globe, October 30,2006). Her perspective as a former Wellesley College dean, aFenn teacher and especially as the mother of three boys whowas in the process of battling breast cancer helped her create apiece which made a real impact in the growing debate overgender issues and their effects on education. Her piece wasreprinted in the International Herald Tribune, The WeekMagazine, and various school publications. Lorraine wasinterviewed by the internet blog, Salon.com, and was evenquoted by Zenit.com, the authoritative news service coveringthe Vatican. The response was tremendous, shown by thenumerous emails she received fromindividuals both impressed and challengedby the article.Recently Lorraine, shared some of thereactions with the Fenn Bulletin.“The first reactions came from peopleat Wellesley College. The public relationsoffice there picked it up and circulated itacross campus. I heard from formercolleagues who had moved on to new jobsbut who have stayed in touch. Severalcurrent faculty members commented. Iwas pleasantly surprised to hear from“There was one interesting reaction from a co-ed privateschool taking issue with the viewpoint expressed in the article.They emphasized small class size as the key factor in openingup the students’ full potential. My response is that class sizedoes make an important difference but there is somethinglarger, something related to personhood, going on in thesingle-sex education environment. It’s a paradox in some waysbut at the right time in life there is this opportunity to becomemore than your particular gender. It can help build the wholeperson that just happens to exist in a particular kind of body.The example of sports was a key example in the article.We’ve all seen it at Fenn. Typical male competition is givenfree rein but here you also see something beyond the sportitself. The boys are much freer to do the emoting that theytend to hand over to girls in a co-ed environment.“There was a real variety in response,all via email, to the article. A lot ofConcordians, both Fenn families and non-Fenn families, were delighted to see a localinstitution featured in the Globe. Agraduate of Mt. Holyoke College wrote tosay that she found the possibilities at anall women’s college to be transformativein her life. There’s an older woman fromChelmsford who has known several Fennboys over the years and has always beendeeply impressed by their character. I hadsome great conversations with mypeople, especially the male professors withwhom I worked.Lorraine Garnett Wardoncologist at Mass General. He had apersonal perspective on the issues involved“A second group involved women with breast cancer.These notes were often very personal. There were four emailsfrom women teachers with breast cancer. Each also hadexperience teaching single-sex classes and they were all verymuch in favor of it. Some of these instances occurred in co-edschools but offered real benefits and more choices to students.One teacher at the Avon Old Farms School had just completedher therapy program for breast cancer. She noted the depth ofsupport she received from the students at the all boys’ school.She believed that the environment there actually allowed theboys to more freely express a strong relational attitude. Shehaving had three sons educated at Fessenden.“Well, there’s a lot that’s been written on this topic andI’m sure the conversation will continue. Writing the op-ed wasa very personal experience. It came home to me in very directway recently. Several Fenn alumni, now all 10 th graders atother schools, dropped in to visit. They are very different typesof young men but they all were able to express very freely theirdeep bond with Fenn. It was very clear that they were alsovery attached to each other. I think that uniqueenfranchisement they had was in many ways the consequenceof single-sex education as experienced here at Fenn.”faced rigorous personal challenges during this time but there13

Boys’ Brains and Learning StylesBy JoAnna Jameson, Coordinator of Special Academic Services, and Drew Balfour Jameson, ’96The fundamental, intrinsic benefit of single-sex education is that we, aseducators, can use gender-appropriate teaching methods which haveproven to be the most effective for our students. Modern research intothe brain development of each gender has offered scientific support forthe work we do at Fenn. We continue to work towards creating better methods forteaching boys and arriving at the most successful curriculum and teaching process.As educators we are dedicated to helping boys gain the tools they need to take theireducation into their own hands.Drew Balfour Jameson ’96 and JoAnna Jameson, Coordinator of Special Academic Services14

Boys’ Brains and Learning StylesRecent history has given us several differentinterpretations of the way boys and girls learn. For example,in the 1980s, the popular theory of “gender plasticity”dominated educational literature. According to this nowoutmoded approach, the brains of boys and girls wereconsidered to be “blank slates” with no inherent biologicaldifferences. Any variations in the behavior of boys and girlswere solely attributed to socialization.When teachers used this socialization theory, anydivergence from the social standard would be treated as adistraction in the classroom. Boys tended to attract a greatershare of a teacher’s attention due to what are often calleddisruptive behaviors. The “gender plasticity” theory presentedthese differences in boys and girls as learned behaviorsthrough social conditioning.Regardless of the popularity of the socialization theoryamong specialists, most parents and teachers maintained anintuitive sense that boys and girls are very different from birthand that they continue to develop differently throughout theirchildhood and adolescence. It is only in the last decade thatwe have been able to corroborate these assumptions throughresearch into the brain’s workings. More than 100 differencesin structure and chemical function have been identifiedbetween boys’ and girls’ brains. It has also become apparentthat boys’ and girls’ brains develop at different rates whichaffects their approach to new information until all the waythrough adolescence.We know that boys can benefit if we work with theirstrengths and adapt to the challenges stemming from thesebiological differences. Some of the areas where boys “lagbehind” would be in reading and writing. By focusing onreading and writing and the way boys approach thesesubjects, for example, we can lower drop-out rates and reducebehavioral problems. This knowledge also gives us the toolsto more easily recognize and accommodate learningdisabilities that are more commonly diagnosed in boys ascompared to girls.Boys often don’t achieve as quickly as girls because theyare hard-wired to learn in ways that can work against them ina traditional coeducational setting. Impulsive reactions—thetendency to learn by trial and error as opposed to consideredplanning—and preferences for movement and manipulatingobjects rather than talking to and relating to other people canall be issues in a coeducational setting. Boys can be, onaverage, eighteen months behind girls of the same age indeveloping language skills, such as reading and writing. Boysalso tend to be aggressive, competitive and physical; they donot learn as well by sitting quietly and immobile, listening andwriting or reading.“Boy Energy,” as defined by Michael Gurian in TheMinds of Boys, is always in motion. Even when reading abook or listening in class, boys tend to fidget, tap their toes,dart their eyes around the room. “The minds of boys arecarried as much in their bodies as in their heads.”Biologically, it has been found that girls’ emotions areregulated by their frontal lobes while boys’ are regulated bythe limbic system. The difference between these tworegulators is dramatic in that the limbic system is a moreprimal, fundamental part of the brain than the emotivefrontal lobes. A boy’s system will better respond to emotionon the level of fight-or-flight and, as is commonly observed,boys generally find it more difficult to talk about theirfeelings.While it may be more difficult for boys to manageemotions, there are other ways to promote their education.Boys’ brains more naturally streamline problems to a coreidea and it can be helpful for them to manage their work bydoing one thing at a time and then creating defined transitionsbetween tasks in the classroom. In settings such as work orlab groups, it can be especially beneficial for boys to havedefined roles within these groups. They do best when they canfocus in-depth on a task which is learned through experience.Trying to do more than one thing at a time or to transitionquickly may bring a fast response of frustration and angerbecause the frontal cortex hasn’t had a chance to mediate thatresponse. Teachers can help by remembering that anger is anatural response that should not necessarily be punished. Itmay be more productive to listen to him try to talk about theway he feels, without necessarily expecting him to be able toexplain why.Boys’ brains are also likely to need to return to a reststate between academic tasks. They may “zone out” in classor fixate on TV or computer screens after doing homeworkfor awhile to get that needed rest period. It has been said thatthe fidgeting boys do in class is an attempt at self-stimulationto break out of a rest state and start listening and engagingagain. Another advantage of the single-sex environment isthat teachers can afford to be a little more forgiving of boyswho can’t sit still, thus avoiding the negative comparison togirl classmates who may appear more attentive.Of course, boys do not instinctively know all these factsabout their own brain functions nor can they apply learnedstrategies without the help of educators who can directlyteach these strategies and the reasoning behind them. One ofthe strengths of Fenn’s Lower School science curriculum isthat part of the school science program teaches the brain’s15

Boys’ Brains and Learning Stylesmethods. Boys benefit from havingteachers point out how the pace of aclass, along with the hands-onactivities and work groups, aredesigned to incorporate their ownbrain’s strengths. This is a great wayfor our students to see that theirlearning styles are authentic and valid.Instead of being criticized for beingthemselves and learning to believe thattheir mental capacities are deficient,they can flourish in their self-respectand sense of accomplishment.Even in a single-sex school, boyswill have a wide range of readingabilities within a grade. Like anyoneelse, they are better served by havingbook choices which match theirreading abilities and their interestswhenever possible. William Brozo, aneducator who reviews the research onboys’ literacy in his book, To Be aBoy, To Be a Reader, says that givingboys a choice of reading material increases the time they willspend reading, as well as the depth of processing andretention of the material. Boys often like to read nonfictionbooks that have information in their areas of interest. Theyalso respond to biographies about men whose lives reflectwhat they feel is essential to being a man. Strong maleprotagonists can introduce male archetypes on which a boymay base his own identity as he matures.Ralph Fletcher, a writer and teacher of writing, haswritten that, “Boys crave choice when they write. Isurveyed nearly 500 boys, trying to unearth their attitudesand experiences about writing, both in and out of school.At the end of the survey I asked them to complete thissentence ‘When we write in school I wish we were allowedto . . .’ The overwhelming response to this question was aplea for more choice: ‘Create our own topic; Choose;Write whatever we want’.”Fletcher points out that the considerable amounts of timeboys (and girls) spend Instant Messaging and writing inweblogs and profile sites like Myspace.com is informal, butthat it is the most writing practice many boys get. In positiveterms, it leads to greater fluency, especially in terms of writingabout personal experiences and their feelings about thoseexperiences—things boys do not often write about easilywhen analyzing books they have read in classes. Using thisinformation, Fenn has launched anexperiment in improving writingfluency and motivation to write. JohnFitzsimmons introduced classroomblogs into his 8 th grade curriculum.Some teachers now also use blogs ingrades 7 and 9. English teachers andclassmates in the same grade can readand comment on these. Not only havethe classroom blogs increased writingfluency, but many boys have begun toshare feelings and talk aboutrelationships for the first time on theblogs, perhaps because it feels likemore of a neutral space than a face-tofaceconversation.Fenn teachers have observed thatit is not that boys are incapable ofhaving emotional reactions tocharacters in assigned readings, butrather that they need to be taughthow to verbally express theiremotions and be supported in theirefforts. Boys need a safe space where they can getconstructive comments on their work not only fromteachers, but their peers.While boys are focused on their own growth, theygenerally do not gravitate to books about femaleprotagonists and may even complain when these arerequired in the curriculum. Giving boys concrete examplesof the brain differences in girls and how girls think whilereading a book with a strong female character may, in fact,be a way to help boys understand girls better as they getready to rejoin them in a coed high school. Discussing whya book might appeal to girls can help boys grow tounderstand the differences between boys and girls, as well aswhere their feelings may overlap.Diane Hulse has written a monograph, Brad and Cory: AStudy of Middle School Boys, in which she explores boys’attitudes about masculinity and femininity. In this small study,she found that boys in single-sex schools felt less anxiety thanboys in coed schools about defining masculinity, were morecomfortable in their relationships with girls and had a moreegalitarian attitude about women’s roles. And while theseschools are just a small sample, it appears that many boys insingle-sex schools feel less (imagined or real) pressure tobehave according to stereotypically macho archetype.Rosemary Salomone in her book, Same, Different, Equal,16

Boys’ Brains and Learning Stylesexamines trends in single-sex schools. Today most boys’schools are no longer boarding schools, as those have becomecoed for the most part. Rather the majority of boys’ schoolsare day schools where boys may have a chance to meet girlssocially at home. We can help by facilitating social activitiesbeyond dances—such as community service, where boys andgirls can think and work together on real problems. She alsopoints out that most boys’ schools’ faculties are likely to havemany female faculty members (Fenn’s faculty is about 50-50men and women) which allows boys to observe men andwomen working together as equal partners.New methods used to teach boys about their learningstyles and giving them strategies for coping with difficultiesthey may have with language-related tasks or organizationshould not be seen as “hand-holding” or enabling. Educatorsconceptualize this work with students as “scaffolding.” Theteacher or tutor’s job is to build up the supportive frameworkaround the edifice of learning, while the student is the oneconstructing the building. We are always conscious that thestudent receiving help needs to be working as hard as theperson helping him. Roger Fenn emphasized that our schoolmotto, “Sua Sponte,” meant that a boy’s education was “in hisown hands,” and Fenn has always been a school that hasguided and supported its boys as they work towards their goalof taking responsibility for themselves. These accommodationsare not incompatible with the student’s personal responsibility.By planning the pace and transitions of a classroom to becomplementary with boys’ brain development, or by creatinghands-on learning experiences as a preparation for writing anessay or research paper, we at Fenn are meeting the boys attheir level to move them forward. When they are notoverwhelmed by their assignments, they are able to take onmore responsibility because they see that their efforts lead toreal accomplishment. They can imagine becoming a man andusing their love of hands-on learning by going on to advancescience, to write poetry, to govern, to raise a family, to becomecontributing members of a global society. The job of theteacher or tutor is to help teach boys the tools and conceptsthey need to be able to be responsible for themselves. It is ourresponsibility as the school—It is in our hands—to give boysthe boost they need to take over their education forthemselves.Boys are not all the same, nor do their brains all work inexactly the same ways. We know now that gender is biologicalfirst, and then socialized throughout life. Just as we havelearned that we cannot treat boys and girls as genderless units,we must remember not to lump all boys together in a groupdefined by one set of traits. The curves of boys’ learning stylesoverlap with those of girls. The challenges society faces intraining girls to succeed in math and science are equallyIn this small study, she found that boys insingle-sex schools felt less anxiety than boysin coed schools about defining masculinity,were more comfortable in their relationshipswith girls and had a more egalitarianattitude about women’s roles.present in creating the means to empower boys to succeed atreading and writing. In each case, teachers help them succeedby teaching to their strengths and using these to build in theirrespective areas of challenge. Educators are beginning toaddress the concept of gender directly, rather than takingassumptions for granted. As Eileen Mullady, head of theprivate school, Horace Mann, puts it, “If having only onegender in your school means you don’t think about gender,then you’re doing something wrong.” Our goal at Fenn is touse every tool at our disposal to promote and educate boys inall of their wonderful complexities.WORKS CITED:William Brozo, To Be A Boy, To Be a Reader, InternationalReading Association, 2002, ISBN 0-87207-175-8Ralph Fletcher, Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices,Stenhouse, 2006, ISBN- 13; 978-1-57110-425-0Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens, The Minds of Boys,Jossey-Bass, 2005, ISBN- 13 978-0-7879-7761-0Diane J. Hulse, “Brad and Cory: A Study of Two MiddleSchool Boys,” University School Press, (Hunting Valley, Ohio)1997Anne Marie Owens, “Boys’ Brains are from Mars,” NationalPost, (Canada) 10 May 2003Rosemary C. Salomone, Same, Different, Equal, YaleUniversity Press, 2003, ISBN 0-300-09875-817

Teacher ProfilesA devotion to boys’education:David Irwin: Social Studies TeacherDavid Irwin, Fenn’s new Social Studies teacher, “came home” when he arrived at Fennlast fall. David grew up in Carlisle, graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School andthen went on to receive his degree from Middlebury College in 2005. He entered theteaching profession with an academic and personal interest in all boys’ schools. David’sformative summer experiences at Camp Belknap in New Hampshire prompted him towrite his senior thesis on how summer camps have reflected changing cultural conceptsof masculinity throughout the 20 th century. David has said that part of his reason forcoming to teach at Fenn was its devotion to educating the whole boy and, in addition,he was impressed by Roger Fenn’s vision which had been applied to camps for boys aswell as the Fenn School.David’s first year as a teacherat the New CanaanCountry Day School inConnecticut was a good one but hefelt drawn back to his local area. Arare opening for a teaching positionat Fenn brought him here to teachSocial Studies and coach football,basketball and baseball. David is anatural athlete and was a standoutbaseball player in high school whichled to his playing NCAA division IIIball at Middlebury. David feelshappy to be back on familiar terrainand is equally pleased to be teachingat Fenn, a school he knew aboutfrom peers who attended. “Theyalways had great things to say aboutFenn,” he recalled.When asked about his views onteaching at an all boys’ school,David refers to how connectionsmade during his years at the camp gave him extra insightinto his appreciation of Fenn. “At Camp Belknap I saw whatgreat things can be done, even in eight weeks, for middleschoolage boys in an all male environment. A lot has to dowith boys as their emotional selves.They have an opportunity toexpress themselves with a particularkind of freedom and a greater levelof comfort. Same thing here atFenn; there’s an extraordinary levelof comfort among peers and anoverall sense of camaraderie. It’s agreat place for them to navigateadolescence.”David says that he’s been madeto feel very welcome here and hekeeps finding new ways to fit intothe community. He’s been seen onstage at Robb Hall a couple oftimes, as part of Read Albright’sfractured version of A ChristmasCarol and behind a drum kit forseveral musical performances.During his Middlebury days he waspart of a rock band called Del BocaVista (named after the fictitiousretirement community in the Seinfeld TV series).Overall it’s a great fit both for David and Fenn. “I lovebeing back in the area. I’ve been able to connect with oldfriends and I’ve made even more here.”18

Teacher ProfilesA love for music and the classics:Allegra Devon: Latin TeacherThe colorful map of ancient Rome on the classroom wall in the School House is the firstsign of Fenn’s new Latin teacher, Allegra Devon. A native of Brookline, Massachusetts,Allegra is a graduate of Brown University. She spent two years teaching at theDexter/Southfield School before studying at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.She has now come to Fenn after earning her master’s degree. Allegra is also anaccomplished cellist, having toured internationally with the Youth Philharmonic alongwith once having performed with Yo Yo Ma.Allegra’s year of graduate study was a time ofdiscovery. She explained that most of the studentsin her particular area ofstudy were from urban publicschool settings which led to acertain focus on the specializedconcerns of these children.Interestingly, she was one of thefew teachers there who hadworked in an independent school.Her internship occurred at nearbyHyde Park High School, in aBoston neighborhood. It was adifficult but rewarding experiencewhere Allegra developed a deeperappreciation of the educationalchallenges facing educators in largeurban settings.When it came to deciding herfuture career path, however,Allegra chose to apply to anindependent school. “I saw theissues that kids face in a school likeHyde Park and the dedication ofthe teachers in that situation. Inspite of the obvious advantages,kids in independents schools have many of these sameissues.” Allegra believes that her skills will be best used inhelping to develop their potential. She was especiallyimpressed with Fenn’s commitment to social responsibilitywhere she can bring her varied experiences to schoolingFenn boys in the meaning and value of diversity in theirencounter with the larger world.When asked about theexperience of teaching in an allboys’ school, Allegra said that it’sbeen a fascinating year. “Boys aremore open in a single-sexenvironment. They feel comfortableasking all sorts of questions andthey are free to be themselves,”she explained. As a Winsor Schoolalumna, she personally experiencedthe advantages of a single-sexeducation. Entering the school infifth grade she says that herattitudes about school changed.Like Fenn’s approach, “It was ademanding program incorporatingthe way we learn as girls and asindividuals into the learningprocess.”Allegra is seeing a sort ofmirror image here at Fenn of herown school years and is enjoyingthe experience. “The boys can beso spontaneous. You might want to pull your hair out nowand then, but every day I have these hilarious stories to tellmy friends. It’s all worth it.”19

Philanthropy at FennAnnual Fund UpdateContinuing the tradition of bridging the gap between tuitionand the full cost to educate each Fenn boy, the 2006/2007Annual Fund is driving towards another record-breaking year.We are delighted to report that Fenn has received gifts andpledges totaling $792,637 to this year’s Annual Fund. Thisrepresents 88% of the $900,000 goal for the Annual Fundwhich runs through June 30, 2007.Whether you are a current parent, alumnus, past parent,grandparent, faculty,$900,000$750,000$600,000$450,000$300,000$150,000$0Our Goal$900,000Raised to Date$792,63788% of our goalstaff or friend, yoursupport of the AnnualFund is critical. Asyou may know,tuition does not coverall the expensesassociated withproviding a rigorousand balancededucation. Withtuition supporting about 81% of the cost of educating eachstudent, the gap between tuition and what it costs Fenn is over$6,000 for each boy. The Annual Fund helps close a portion ofthat gap.The 2006/2007 Annual Fund will close on June 30, 2007.There’s still time to make a gift—donate online atwww.fenn.org or call the Alumni and Development Office at978-318-3600. Every gift makes a difference!2006-2007 ANNUAL FUND HIGHLIGHTSTOTAL RAISED TO DATE*: $792,637 (Gifts range from $5 to $30,000)Parents: $422,184—from 204 donorsAlumni: $105,432—from 417 donorsParents of Alumni: $178,577— from 272 donorsGrandparents: $12,550—from 50 donorsCorporation/Foundation/Matching/Other: $73,894—from 89 donors*Includes gifts and pledges as of 4/30/07SUPPORTING FENN’S MISSION —THE PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION AUCTIONFenn’s Starry Night Auction, held on February 3, was a shining example of the generosity and enthusiasm of many parentvolunteers. A special share of gratitude belongs to Leila Parke and Kathy Ticknor, co-chairs of the highly successful eventthat raised over $125,600 for Fenn teachers’ professional development and their advancement of the Fenn curriculum.Good independent schools are mission-based andSupporting teachers’ work on curriculum development isdemonstrate clarity of purpose; as such, they are inherently equally important. Because faculty members devote the majoritytraditional, while also remaining open to innovations that havebeen proven effective and new approaches that hold promise. AtFenn we take pride in our traditions and accomplishments, whileneither being complacent nor resting on our laurels. We aredeeply committed to ensuring the excellence of our teaching andour program, and we maintain a continuous, lingering desire togrow and improve.Faculty professional development and curriculumdevelopment are the twin engines that drive the ongoingevolution of our academic program. Teachers at every stage intheir careers derive significant benefits from continuing to learnthemselves. Opportunities to gain insights into current researchon effective teaching, to deepen their expertise in a particularsubject, and to delve into new areas of interest sustain teachers’passion and creativity. Talking with other educators and visitingdifferent schools broadens their perspective, helps them reflect ontheir current practice, and encourages them to consider waysof their time during the school year to excellent teaching, mostsubstantive curricular planning and revision must happen duringthe summer months. Fenn is committed to funding significantsummer projects that will refine, deepen, or enhance our existingcurriculum, and to supporting teachers’ work to design curriculafor new areas of our program. Without funding this work,which goes well beyond the sort of planning and revising ofcurriculum that every teacher regularly undertakes during thesummer months, it’s highly unlikely that our academic programcould grow at the pace we desire.We are incredibly grateful to the Parents Association, and tothe parents who have supported the auction so generously, forrecognizing the vital importance of faculty professionaldevelopment and curriculum development and for choosing onceagain to fund these endeavors through the auction proceeds.Their support is a powerful statement of confidence in the futureof our program and our faculty, and it provides a precious gift tothey might become even more effective in their classrooms. our students.—Rob Gustavson20

Profile of a Fenn VolunteerNancy Beaulieu:Helping Sustain a Personal CommunityNancy Beaulieu recalls anevening near the end ofher son’s ninth-grade yearat Fenn. They were driving hometogether following an evening inwhich the faculty honored thegraduates with a dinner andentertainment, which included asong with personalized verses abouteach boy. “It was a wonderfultime,” Nancy recalls, “filled withmemories to last a lifetime. Iremember Eric turning to me andsaying, ‘That is one greatcommunity.’ I have always felt thatthe strong sense of community at Fenn has a profoundlypositive influence on a boy’s development. The relationshipbetween the students and faculty is magical and so importantduring those formative years. The teachers care and the boysknow it. I found it so natural to want to be a part of thisenvironment and to help in whatever way I could.”Nancy is the mother of Eric ’05 and Jay ’06. She waselected to the Board of Trustees four years ago and todayserves as an officer of the Board as well as Co-Chair of theDevelopment Committee, along with Pam Boll (mother ofIan ’03, Alex ’04 and Cam ’06).“I was impressed with Fenn from the outset,” Nancy says.“It is still a traditional school that has never moved awayfrom its founding principles. Boys receive individualattention while consistently learning the importance of SuaSponte, which places the responsibility for their learning intheir own hands. When they move on to secondary schools,they have a firm grounding in the fundamentals and a solidwork ethic.”Upon joining the Board of Trustees, Nancy was especiallyimpressed by the depth of commitment shown by the othertrustees. “Fenn is one of the few institutions I’ve known thathas a clear mission and vision and executes well on both,”Nancy says. “The School knows what it is and what it standsfor. My confidence in this and in Jerry Ward’s leadershipfuels my commitment as a volunteer.”“This is a very exciting time at Fennright now,” Nancy observes. “We arehalfway through executing a ten-yearstrategic plan. We are not trying tochange Fenn, but rather to strengthen it.We have been successful in bringingfaculty salaries to a highly competitivelevel and increasing the endowment. Alarge part of the task still before us is tobring the physical facilities up to thesame level of excellence as the overallprogram—while maintaining the humanscale of the campus and preserving thetraditional feel.”Nancy praises Fenn for its strongacademic program and for the inclusive way in which allstudents participate in many different activities. “Theemphasis on the three A’s—academics, arts and athleticsallows each boy to find his own special strengths andinterests. The extracurricular activities and the commitmentto community service are also hallmarks of the Fenneducation. It gets built into each day as the school educatesthe whole child.” That’s a tremendous benefit to Fenn’graduates when they move on in their education, accordingto Nancy. “It’s a wonderful learning menu. They havesampled so many different things at Fenn they are not afraidto take on challenges at the next step.” She also points to arelated sense of respect for the diverse talents andaccomplishments of other students that becomes secondnature to boys at Fenn.Nancy is an example of the strong, thoughtful partnershipthat exists between the School and its key constituents—alumni, parents, parents of alumni and friends of the school.“We are all committed to seeing this great school do well,”Nancy says. “The elementary and middle school years arethe foundation for the rest of the educational experience. Weneed to make certain that foundation stays solid. So whenwe explain our commitment as a Board, our hope is thatothers will share our vision and then ask themselves ‘Whatcan I do to help?’ That is what will keep Fenn strong forfuture generations of boys.”21

Campus RoundupHere is a small sample of some of the dynamic people and events that that keep the Fenncampus a fascinating and lively place.LEARNING HOW TOMAKE MAPLE SUGARWith cold nights and milder days, theconditions on the Fenn campus wereperfect to revive another practice fromearly Fenn history, the tapping of ourmaple trees. Science teacher MikePotsaid gathered his students, taps andbuckets and collected a couple ofhundred gallons of maple sap over twoweek’s time. The harvest was deliveredto Gaining Ground, a localorganization dedicated to growingorganic producefor donation toarea food pantries,where it wasadded to sap fromother sources to beboiled down intomaple syrup.Maple sugaring at Fenn in late MarchAUTHOR MATT TAVARES VISITS FENNNoted author and illustrator Matt Tavares visited withFenn fifth graders in late February to read one of hisbooks and show a slide presentation explaining all the workthat goes into making a picture book. Students got to seephotos that he took of family and friends posing for differentillustrations of characters in his books. It was particularly eyeopeningfor the boys to see sketches brought to his editor thatweren’t quite right at first and then to see the succeedingversions all the way through to the final illustration. Thepresentation ended with a lively question and answer session.Matt Tavares was born in Boston, grew up in Winchesterand now resides in Ogunquit, ME with his wife and daughter.Among his works are Zachary’s Ball, Oliver’s Game,Mudball, and Jack and the Beanstalk.Author Matt Tavares speaks with boys after his talk in February.22

Campus RoundupGOOD NEWS IS A HIT!Talented cast members from Fennand Nashoba Brooks performedthe musical romp Good News inMarch. The sell out hit was acontinuation of the annual jointproduction between the two schoolsbegun in 1985, and held here at Fennfor the first time. This year severalbrave faculty members joined in thefun as a supporting chorus singingfrom stage and the “pit.” As always,student “techies” worked behind thescenes to help bring the musical up tothe school’s high standards and theexpectations of Fenn and Nashobaaudiences.(left to right) Paul Bierwagen, Jacqui Malis, Cookie Giddings, Brian Partridge, Eileen Giles,Will JoumasTHE TRADITIONCONTINUES—W.W. FENNSPEAKING CONTESTJames Pingeon ’08 was judged thisyear’s winner of the 61 st W.W. FennSpeaking Contest for his recital ofTaylor Mali’s poem “Seventh GradeViking.” First honorable mention wentto Graham Kaemmer (Homer’s Iliad),and Sam Miller (Dave Barry’s column,“Molecular Homicide”) was recognizedwith second honorable mention. Thecontest is one of Fenn’s most venerabletraditions. It involves the recitation of amemorized poem, passage from a bookor speech, monologue or an originalpiece. The contestants are judged on thequality of the piece, their personalinterpretation of it, their diction andvolume. This year alumni TaraghMulvany ’87 and Jared Keyes ’75 joinedLorraine Garnett Ward as judges.MOSKOWITZ ANDLERNER SELECTEDFOR HONORORCHESTRA(back row, left to right) Taragh Mulvany ’87, Lorraine Garnett Ward,Jared Keyes ’75 (frontrow, left to right) Graham Kaemmer, James Pingeon and Sam MillerCellist Alex Moskowitz, a Fenn eighthgrader, and Sven Lerner, a seventhgrader, were selected to participate inthe Northeast District HonorOrchestra. Outstanding music studentsfrom over 150 public and privateschools participated in the auditions inJanuary. Five hundred-fifty studentsfrom grades six through nine rehearsedwith guest conductors and thenperformed in a concert held at LowellHigh School in Lowell, MA onSaturday, April 8, 2006.23

Sports RoundupWINTER SPORTS ROUNDUPFenn athletes proved their mettle with winning records in all our winter sports.More importantly, all our young men continued to show their “Sua Sponte” spiritin practice along with true sportsmanship in competition that impressed everyone.HOCKEYVarsity hockey enjoyed a successful season finishingwith a 7-3-1 record. According to Coach DerekBoonisar, “What distinguished this group in my eyes istheir love for the game and their energy. They loved goingto the rink every day. Their hard work and focus in practicespilled over into each game. We carried momentum intoevery contest.”Varsity hockey was young this year. “Eight 7 th gradersplayed regular minutes. This is the youngest team I’ve evercoached. But we didn’t play young. We stepped up andcompeted hard in every game, winning most of them,”Boonisar added.Up front, Fenn was led by the line of T.A. Demoulas,Matt Carroll and Mikey O’Brien and the line of AJLucchese, Carl Hesler and Patrick Magliano. DavidGolonka also scored some big goals for Fenn and wasversatile enough to play defense at times. Nick Church, JRArakelian, Chris Kent and Charlie Peters added depth atforward. The defense was anchored by by JC Winslow,Connor Frazier and Alec Trull. Jason Robart missed muchof the season due to an injury but returned to playoutstanding hockey in the Fay game, a 5-2 victory.Mike Pigula was outstanding in goal, keeping it close injust about every game, even stealing a few games for Fenn.Graham Hunt added depth in net.24

Sports RoundupWRESTLINGCoach John Fitzsimmons has called Fenn’s 2006-07 varsitywrestling team both “one of the most hardworking teamsin Fenn’s history” and “one of the most coachable.” One couldadd that they were one of the most successful. Accoladesinclude the defeat of perennial powerhouse Roxbury Latin in anaway tri-meet, and four place winners at the New EnglandJunior Prep tournament: Paul Bierwagen (1 st ), Sam Miller (2 nd) ,Brandon Schneider (4 th ) and Robert Palmer (4 th ).Led by an experienced group of dedicated seniors—RobertPalmer, Josh Star, Alex Schwartz, Dash Davis, Patrick Walsh andSean Gannon—the team’s most distinguishing characteristicswere their persistence, dedication, heart and sportsmanship.Those who are graduating will be sorely missed, and those whoare returning will be looked to next year for their skilledleadership.BASKETBALLThe varsity basketball team enjoyed a successful season,ending with a record of 9-4. This was a team that focusedon improving every single day, and they were successful inmeeting that goal. Each player did what hecould to help the team get better and to besuccessful. The unquestioned leaders werecaptains Dan Giovacchini and Daniel Skayne.Giovacchini was Fenn’s leading scorer, rebounderand assist man. A wonderful player in his ownright, Giovacchini made his teammates better aswell. Skayne’s never-say-die attitude helped tomotivate his teammates. Filling out the startingfive were Tim Marchese, Ben Ticknor and RyanCavanagh. The supporting cast included TylerRyan, Greg Kinlan, Brendan Gay, Matt Boone,Nick Mirin and Jack Cohen.The highlight of the season was RoxburyLatin. It was a game in which the Fenn five weretrailing the entire game, and by 12 points withabout 6 minutes to play. The boys never gave upthough, and they slowly chipped away at RL’s lead. Fenn wasable to tie the game with approximately 15 seconds to go, andwith 0:00.6 showing on the clock Brendan Gay went to the lineto shoot free throws. He made one of two, and Fenn emergedvictorious by a score of 46-45. It was the only lead the teamhad all day.25

Campus RoundupUNLOCKING FENN’S CAMPUSBy Ted MacMahon, Director of Institutional AdvancementContinuing to unlock the potential of the Fenn campus,the Trustees’ Buildings & Grounds Committee hasproudly implemented the School’s next phase ofenhancements—a new loop driveway, athletic field upgrades,additional parking, and the renovation of the formerresidences on the north end of campus. To eradicate trafficcongestion, the driveway to these residences (former facultyand Headmaster homes) has been extended to MonumentStreet, about 150 yards north of Carr Road, creating a newentrance to Fenn. The new one-way entry for the Schoolcreates a safer loop for the hundreds of daily drop-offs andpick-ups. Faculty members are now able to allocate moretime to teaching and less to trafficcontrol duties. Making use of some of the top soil removedfor the driveway, the varsity soccer/lacrosse field is beingleveled and reconfigured to one of the finest athletic fieldspossible. As part of Fenn’s Campus Master Plan, the newlycreated parking spaces on the new driveway will enable Fennto eliminate some parking at the heart of the campus, wheremore green space will be created. With ample parking, Fennwill now be eligible for the permitting necessary for otherexciting campus enhancements over the next few years.Finally, the two former residences are receiving facelifts andwill be fully utilized by Summer Fenn and the Alumni &Development Offices by the start of school.FACULTY AND STAFF NOTESANNUAL GIVING DIRECTORNAMED CO-CHAIR FOR CASEDISTRICT I CONFERENCEJeri Goetz, Fenn’s Director of Annual Giving, was recentlynamed Co-Chair for the CASE (Council for Advancement andSupport of Education) annual District I conference to be heldin Boston in February 2008. She is the first independentschool professional to lead the conference. Jeri will work witha budget of $350,000 and oversee some 50 volunteers whileorganizing both the logistics and the program aspects of theconference that is expected to attract about 700 attendeesfrom independent schools, colleges and universities locatedthroughout New England and Eastern Canada.Headquartered in Washington, DC with an office inLondon, CASE is the professional organization foradvancement professionals at all levels who work in alumnirelations, communications and development.YEARS OF SERVICE AWARDSOn Wednesday, February 28, sixteen faculty and staffmembers were recognized for their years of service to theSchool. They received tokens of appreciation—and a gentleroasting—from their colleagues and friends here at Fenn.FIVE-YEAR AWARDSDave DiPersioLisa FrancineJim GodsillRob GustavsonGisela Hernandez-SkayneMaeve LienCathie ReganBeth ShifflerJen WaldeckTEN-YEAR AWARDSSteve GasperJulie SiegalBen SmithTWENTY-YEAR AWARDSSue FinneyLucia MacMahonMarilyn SchmalenbergerTWENTY-FIVE YEARAWARDSBob Starensier26

Campus RoundupFENN RADIO MARKS 5TH YEARFor the past five years Fenn students have broadcast a monthly radio program from Concord-Carlisle High School’s radiostation WIQH (88.3 FM). The entirely student-run production strives to present a panorama of life at Fenn. This year’screw—led by Doug Lally, Chris Knollmeyer and Andrew Monks—took the locally broadcast show worldwide through theinternet accessible at fennradio.com.(left to right) Sam Doran ’09, Jeff Mara ’09, Jared Aquaviva ’09, Griffin Kay ’09, Dylan Dove ’10, Adam Lamont ’09,Winston Pingeon ’09, Mike Woo ’09, Alex Smalanskas-Torres ’07, Andreas Valhouli-Farb ’08. (seated front) Doug Lally ’07(Missing): Chris Knollmeyer ’08, Andrew Monks ’08FENN STUDENTS CONTRIBUTERECORD AMOUNT TOFOOD PANTRYHarriet Kaufman, representing the Open TablePantry recently dropped into All School Meetingto present a special award to the students of Fenn fortheir outstanding contributions to the local area’s wellknown food pantry. This year’s effort gathered wellover 21,000 food items smashing previous records.Fenn’s annual food drive comprises one of the mainsources Open Table depends upon to stock theirshelves. Brian Partridge accepted the award from Ms.Kaufman and received individual recognition for hisrole. He personally collected several thousand items toboost the Fenn effort.27

THANKSGIVINGREUNION 2006Ryan Kelt ’06, Adam Reeve ’06, DuncanGillespie ’06, Todd Holberton ’06A group from the class of 2006 at easeSam Petrie ’06, Jay Beaulieu ’06,Andrew Bernard ’06Jeff Trotsky ’06,Peter BradleyJason Rude, Ben Kittendaugh’05, Malcolm Eaton ’05Scooter Manly ’06,Adam Reeve ’06Josh Star ’07Mike Maggiore ’06,Gisela Hernandez-SkayneJoe Rinaldo ’07, Cam Adams ’07, Alex Smalanskas-Torres ’07,Gordon Adams ’07, Tyler Bembenek ’07Jerry Ward, Will Ricketson ’04Patrick Walsh ’07, John Bumpus ’0728

Peter Valhouli-Farb ’05, Spencer Lovejoy ’05, Jim Carter ’54,Joe Shapiro ’05Kirsten Gould, Harris Rosenheim ’02, Tory Hayes’ 02, Mike SalvatoreNat Carr ’97, Ben Lamont ’06Greg Pierson ’05, Nico Hargreaves-Heald ’05,Keefer Blum ’04Jack McCloy ’03, Simon Keyes ’03, Ryan Melia ’03,Ian Boll ’03, Tim Padden ’03ThanksgivingA poem by John Fitzsimmons, Fenn Faculty, English, MusicDavid Duane, Keefer Blum ’04Jan Santos ’07, Tony SantosI am surprisedBy the suddenness of November:Beauty abruptly shedTo a common nakedness—Grasses deadened by hoarfrost,Persistent memories of people I’ve lost.It is left to those of usDressed in the hardBarky skin of experienceTo insist on a decorumThat rises to the greatnessOf a true Thanksgiving.This is not a gameAgainst a badly scheduled team—An uneven matchOn an uneven pitch:This is life.This is life.This is life.Not politely mumbled phrasesMurmured with a practicedAnd meticulous earnestness.Thanksgiving was born a breech birth:A screaming appreciation for being alive;For not being one of the manyWho didn’t make it—Who couldn’t moil throughAnother hardscrabble yearOn tubers and scarce fowl.Thanksgiving is for being you;There are no thanks without you.You are the power of hopeful promise;You are the balky soil turning upon itself.You are bursting forth in your experience;You are not the person next to you,Not an image or an expectation—You are the infinite and eternal you,Blessed and loved and consoledBy the utter commonnessAnd community of our souls.We cry and we are held.We love and we hold.We are the harvest of God—Constantly renewed;Constantly awakenedTo a new Thanksgiving.Scott Jones ’04, Bob Starensier,K.C. McCarthy’ 04With thanks to Read, Walter, Jim and Lorraine who have shown me how “teaching”is a journey of continuity, passion and faith.29

Class of 1955Spencer Borden has been working at Johnson& Johnson since last spring as the directorof employer outcomes research. He ischarged with demonstrating the value toemployers of Johnson & Johnson productsand service. Spencer is still living in Concordand will travel nationally as needed.Class of 195665TH REUNION 2007Class of 1942ClassNewsprogram focused on medical research andeducation, followed by a reception and dinnerat Harvard Medical School. Fred wasjoined by his family, colleagues and closefriends at this very special day.David Howard is an architect and owner ofFirst Day Cottage, a company he founded in1996 that has the mission to produce homesthat cost less than $45,000, can be builtanywhere, be completed in 15 weekends,moved into after completion and last for500 years. David’s works have been featuredin Architectural Digest, House Beautiful,The New York Times and The ChristianScience Monitor. First Day Cottage alsoemploys David’s wife, Pamela, and son AJand is located in Walpole, NH. Win Sargentretired as headmaster of the InternationalSchool in Caracas, Venezuela after 12 yearsthere and 31 years of teaching overseas.Win and his wife, Beatrice, opened a bedand breakfast on the island of Tobago.Joe Whitney is still going strong. He spenttime in January skiing in New Zealand andthinking about the fun days at Punk.Class of 1945James Dana Eastham passed away inMarch 2006 after battling a good fightagainst myelodysplasia. At the time of hispassing he had been married to Merrilyn for53 years, had raised 5 children and had 12grandchildren.Class of 1947Class of 1951Tylor Field sent a message that he is quietlyliving in Portsmouth, RI after careers in theNavy and banking. Fred Lovejoy was honoredby Children’s Hospital in Boston whenhe turned over the Residency Training Programafter 27 years at the helm. The daystarted with academic exercises that focusedon his early years in toxicology and was followedby Grand Rounds. The afternoon3060TH REUNION 200755TH REUNION 2007Class of 1952Class of 1954Since finishing his sabbatical in 2004, JohnHall has returned to Israel and is completingand publishing a two-volume work entitledGeological Framework of the Levant. It isthe first book on the geology of Syria andIsrael, and it also includes sections on southwesternCyprus and the Levantine Basin inthe eastern Mediterranean. In December2005, John retired from the Geological Surveyof Israel after 35 years as a civil servantof the Israeli government. He traveled withhis family to the Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica.Tony Willcox, his wife Sam, and theirborder collie Jac live in Broomfield, CO,where their construction company is stillworking at Denver International Airportexpanding concourse B. The skiing this yearhas been great and the snow keeps coming!Tony says that he misses hiking over to “BigPunk” to shovel snow and have a couplehours of skiing there. “I loved those days atFenn.”50TH REUNION 2007Class of 1957David White traveled to Bermuda lastspring and is still actively involved withMarlboro Music in Vermont. David isworking with classmates Eric Vanderpoeland Dick Evans on their 50 th reunion. Theyhope to see many classmates on campus onMay 4!Class of 1961David Nichols is a retired naval flight officerand Vietnam combat veteran, havingflown F-4 Phantoms and F-14 Tomcats.Currently he is employed by NorthropGrumman Corporation, building the RQ-4BGlobal Hawk for the Air Force. This is ahigh-altitude (12 miles), long-endurance (36hours) spy aircraft. The aircraft isunmanned, controlled by computers andtakes video infrared and radar pictures thatcan be sent anywhere on the globe. EdwardSchevill is still (forever) in Tucson workingwith the Epilepsy Outreach Project. He hasfond memories of Mr. Edgar, Mr. Fenn and

Mr. Frothingham, among many others.“What a wonderful and joyful impact theyhad. Good for Fenn for continuing in thisvein!”45TH REUNION 2007Class of 196240TH REUNION 2007Class of 1967Class of 1970Seth Johnson is married to Libby Hoffmanand living in Falmouth, ME with sons,Caleb and Gabe, and daughter, Anna.35TH REUNION 2007Class of 1972Michael Mockler is writing poetry and hasdone a few readings in Portsmouth, NH. Heis living in Amesbury, MA.Class of 1973Glen Tobiason sends his regards from Ringsheim,Germany.Class of 1974Mark Biscoe is Market President-Northeastat Kforce Professional Staffing, a technologyand finance placement and consulting firm.Mark and his wife, Terry, live in Wrentham,MA with their children Tim, Dan and Ellie.Class of 1975Peter Brooke will spend two months in Irelandon a special Western Ireland Commission.He has been actively involved with theGreen Mountain Hiking Club.30TH REUNION 2007Class of 1977Class of 1978Victor Tyler is a photographer and a painter.He recently completed building a studio. Heand wife, Julie, are the proud parents ofEdmond who is 4.Class of 1979Gus Bickford is the owner and president ofa database consulting company for nonprofitorganizations. He was instrumental instarting the lacrosse program at WestfordAcademy in 2001 and has continued hisinvolvement. Nicholas Leone was marriedto Lindsay Van Houten on October 8, 2006in California. The couple honeymooned inAustralia.Class of 1980Matt Vokey says that life is very good inmid-coast Maine. He is getting back into thefood business and his enjoying his two sons,Alexander and Richard.Class of 1981Things are going well for Andrew Bird, hiswife, Sarah, and their sons Austin, 3, andNathan, 6 months. Andrew is working forMcCann-Erickson in Salt Lake City, UT. JimKingsbury and his wife, Abby, are keepingbusy with home projects on their house inWest Acton, MA. Jim is playing guitar everyday and enjoying work at Newbury Court,where there are many Fenn connections.After a slow start to winter, Lorne Thomsenhas had a lot of fun sledding, skating, skiingand snowshoeing with his wife, Alexandra,and their three kids, Jack, Gavin and Louisa.25TH REUNION 2007Class of 1982Phil Kistler founded Enceladus InvestmentManagement in 2006. Things are going wellin Dallas.Class of 1983Class NotesChris Carr sent a message that he is a campgroundmanager, ceramic artist and jack-ofall-trades.He is also the father of Jarod,husband of Kris and an avid telemark skier.Chris and family live in East Wakefield,NH. Tim Cipriani earned his Certificate ofAdvanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) degreein January 2006 and licensure asprincipal/vice-principal in May. Rich Nolanis enjoying life in Chevy Chase, MD as VicePresident of Government Affairs for a tradeassociation. His daughter, Hadley, 6, andson, Parker, 3, are doing great!Class of 1984Dermot FitzPatrick and his family are livingoutside of Chicago. Joe Hackett is currentlyworking for Apple Computer teaching theirsoftware, while still pursuing acting. He hasbeen in over 130 episodes of television,mostly a show called Big Bad Beetleborgs,in which he plays a vampire. Joe’s brotherBilly Hackett ’87 is also in California wherehe is teaching in Pasadena, while also pursuingacting.Class of 1985Daniel Brotman is the director of the HospitalistProgram at Johns Hopkins Hospital.He is living in Baltimore with his wife,Edith, and their son, Parker, 7, and daughter,Naomi, 4. Scott Crosby and his wife,Katherine, have two sons, Will, 3, andGeoff, 1. The Crosbys are living in Towson,MD. Eric Harnden and his wife JillGuzzi welcomed twins Parke and Spencerto their family. The twins join big sistersGreer and Quinn in the Harnden – Guzzifamily. Proud grandparents are facultymembers Bob and Kathy Starensier.Andrew Krantz is living in Coloradowhere he is working for Merrill Lynch. Heand his wife, Keli, and are the parents ofEmma, 5, and Aidan, 1.4th from right: Aidan Krantz with his daytime buddies31

Class NotesParke and Spencer Guzzi HarndenClass of 1986James Christian was married to Kerry Glenon June 25, 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya. Heand Kerry started a company called KarisiaLimited Safaris that specializes in walking,photographic and ornithological safaris inEast Africa. In addition, they have a newranch, Tumaren. Although there is no electricity,power or buildings, they have tents,shovels and saws to begin building a lionsafeboma for their camels. Photos of theranch may be found at www.kerryglen.com.Roger Duncan was deployed toEast Africa from January to September 2006with the Navy’s combat camera unit as areservist. Photos can be viewed atwww.navy.mil. Click on more photos anduse the search engine to view his work.20TH REUNION 2007Class of 1987Billy Hackett is living in California where heis teaching in Pasadena, while pursuing anacting career. Billy recently got his master’sdegree in education from California StateUniversity, Los Angeles. Tom Hudner andhis wife, Jennifer, welcomed a son, ThomasJ. Hudner IV, on November 4, 2006. TJjoins his big sister Lily in the Hudner family.Ian Lamont-Havers is working in NewYork City for the ad agency JWT as a senioranimator. One of the JetBlue spots Ian wasinvolved with won a Golden Lion award atthe Cannes International Advertising Festival.Ian credits the discipline he learned atFenn in helping him get ahead in the professionalworld.Class of 1988Ted FitzPatrick works for Reebok in Canton,MA.Class of 1989Greg Broyles and his wife, Shelby, weremarried in March 2005 in Chicago. Thecouple honeymooned in Italy where theyvisited Rome, Florence, Chianti, CinqueTerre and Venice. Their goal was for a smallwedding and a big honeymoon. Greg is afreelance graphic designer and is currentlyworking on two children’s books. Shelby isa recruiting coordinator for Deloitte &Touche. The couple is living in Chicago withtheir shepherd-mix puppy named Carter.Kyle Norris and his wife, Alison Carter,added two more children to their familywith the birth of twins on October 4, 2006.Miller Adams and Grafton Peter join oldersiblings Carolyn and Judson. They are thegrandchildren of long-time faculty memberJim Carter ’54.Class of 1990Evan Comjean spent the summer of 2006taking a census of the number of trout inthe rivers of Washington State. He is willingto share this information with interestedparties for the right price! Casey McCandlessis still living in Memphis, TN and enjoyinglife. He and his wife, Laurie, are havinga great time watching their daughter, Kate,3, and son, Logan, 16 months, grow.15TH REUNION 2007Class of 1992Class of 1993David Spinola was married to Kelly Murphyin May 2006 in Palm Beach Gardens,FL. David and Kelly are living in Massachusettswhile David is attending Harvard BusinessSchool.Class of 1994In December 2006 Garreth Biegun elopedwith Debbie Schwartz to Martha’s Vineyard.The couple will celebrate their weddingthis spring. Garreth will graduate fromUMass Medical School in June with plansto begin his residency in emergency medicine.Marc Hustvedt sends his regards fromLos Angeles.Class of 1995Matthew Burr is working at CambridgeAssociates, a consulting firm in Boston. Heis enjoying his job and living in Cambridge.The exhibition Looking Back, Looking Forward:The State of Clay in Massachusetts atthe Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton lastspring featured works by Ben Eberle.Class of 1996Sam Carroll graduated last May from theUniversity of Memphis with a master’sdegree in percussion. Michael Denault wasmarried to Lynn Ivaska in October 2005.The couple is living in North Oxford, MA.Lynn is teaching middle school science inWorcester. Michael and Lynn are developingtheir love of art into a business andhave opened an on-line studio to displayand sell glass products. Visit the onlineshop at www.denaultstudios.com. JamieHunt is working as a designer and photographer,as well teaching yoga. He is trainingto be an outdoor leadership instructor.Jamie was featured in an article in the Januaryissue of Boston Magazine. “CaseStudy from the Mundane to Mumbai” isabout Jamie’s trip to Cambodia and India,living out of a backpack. Jamie spent histime doing yoga, meditating, hanging outwith monks and living very peacefully. Goto www.ofbalance.com for information.Colin O'Neill is teaching in China, wherehe has been for the past couple of years.He says that living in China is fantastic andwhen he can he travels around Asia.David Spinola (right) and classmateJoe Eddy (left)32

10TH REUNION 2007Class of 1997Seth Wylie sends news that he is living andworking in Cambridge at Bee Agent, aword-of-mouth marketing agency.Class of 1998Moody Jameson co-authored a researchpaper in social psychology. “StereotypeThreat Impacts College Athletes’ AcademicPerformance” was published in a journal atthe University of Iowa. Moody is currentlydoing research at a non-profit organizationin Somerville, MA. Conor Maguire is teachinghistory and English at The HillsideSchool in Marlborough, MA. Alan O'Neillspent last summer teaching extreme drivingin fancy sports cars. Alan recently relocatedto Massachusetts where he is working atWilliamson Corp. with Alumni Associationpresident Bill Barron ’78.Class of 1999Matthew Bassett graduated with honorsfrom Johns Hopkins University in 2006 andnow works as an Emergency ResponseManager for the state of Maryland. He isliving in Baltimore. Ryan Connolly is captainof Colby College’s lacrosse team. ConorFitzpatrick graduated from Holy Cross Collegelast spring and is currently an intern atThe Hillside School in Marlborough, MAwhere he is teaching English and studyskills. Tully Foote graduated from CaliforniaInstitute of Technology in 2006 and isattending graduate school at the Universityof Pennsylvania. Ryan Hass is working inWashington, DC as an analyst at CorporateExecutive Board. He graduated from NorthwesternUniversity with a degree in economicsin June 2006. Roger Hewer-Candee wasawarded a first-class honors degree fromOxford University and has started his graduatestudies in Greek and Latin literature.He has written a short article on Thucydides6.6.2 that may be published in 2007. GeoffMitchell went through basic training at ParrisIsland, SC last spring and is now a privatefirst class with the US Marine Corps.Classmates interested in sending Geoffmessages can e-mail his mother, Carol, atcarolm2001@aol.com and she will forwardthem to Geoff.Class of 2000Daniel Bassett is junior at Connecticut College.He spent the fall semester studying inNepal with the School for InternationalTraining and spent ten days in Tibet withhis dad. He will return to Connecticut Collegethis spring. David Hale was cited byDartmouth College for outstanding academicachievement in French/Italian in Translation.Members of the Dartmouth facultysubmit citation reports when a student’swork is sufficiently distinguished to meritspecial recognition. Such citations are rare;typically only a few undergraduates receivecitations each term. This is David’s secondcitation at Dartmouth. Dan Tavilla is a juniorat Plymouth State University in NewHampshire, where he is studying meteorology.Matt Ward is co-captain of the lacrosseteam at Skidmore College.Class of 2001Patrick Callahan spent last summer on aroad trip to Colorado. He also had aninternship at Fractal Antenna in Bedford,MA. He is currently at Cornell where he hasa double major, physics and philosophy, anda minor in French. Brooks Diehl shares thesame suite with him at Cornell. Tom Cote isback at Connecticut College after spendinga semester studying in Freiburg, Germany.David Khuen is currently a history major atColorado College. David spent last summerin Germany playing soccer with the ColoradoCollege team before returning statesideto work at Summer Fenn. This semesterhe studied abroad in South Africa. DavidClass Noteswas named to the first team for the all-independentmen’s soccer team and was alsonamed Goalkeeper of the Year, an honor heshared with another goalie from MitchellCollege.5TH REUNION 2007Class of 2002Rohin Jaiman worked last summer as aphlebotomist at Emerson Hospital in Concord.He is currently attending ColumbiaUniversity. Charlie Moore is attendingColby College. His brother Jack Moore ’07is in Fenn’s 9 th grade and serving as vicepresident of the School.Class of 2003Jamie Atkins, Bronson Kussin, and SajeevPopat are freshmen at Tufts University. BenBishop qualified for the 2006 USASANational Snowboard Competition at Northstar,CA. He is currently attending SierraNevada College. Jack Carroll is attendingElon College in North Carolina. KwameCobblah is a freshman at Elmira College inNew York. Kwame worked at SummerFenn last summer. Kevin Connolly is attendingHoly Cross College. Riley Corr isattending Wake Forest University. GeoffCurfman is a freshman at Kenyon College.Mason Earle is attending Ft. Lewis Collegein Durango, CO. Chris Fay and ChristianManchester are freshmen at Boston College.Tyler Godoff graduated from the TaftSchool in May 2006. He spent the summerSome members of Fenn’s FC Alumni Soccer team with athletic director Bob Starensier33

Class NotesFenn alumni from the Class of ’03 getting ready for a night out at Middlesex last spring.(left to right) Jamie Atkins, Jack Carroll, Bronson Kussin, Chris Fay, Peter Stone and KevinConnollyliving in New York City and interned at theoffice of KT MacFarland, who ran for theRepublican nomination for U.S. Senatorfrom New York. Currently he is a freshmanat Georgetown University School of Business,majoring in International Business. Hehas pledged Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity andwill spend the summer interning at MorganStanley in Washington, DC. AndrewHantzis is a freshman at UMass Amherst.Kyle Hutton is attending Bates College inLewiston, ME. Matt Kahn is attendingBrown University. Simon Keyes and MikeSpiak are freshmen at Middlebury College.George Lovejoy is currently attending RyderCollege in New Jersey. Jackson McCloy is astudent at the University of Denver. RyanMelia spent last summer attending dramaschool at Northwestern University. TimPadden is at Salve Regina College. EvanRosse is at Goucher College. Scott Runyonplans to major in physics and math at StanfordUniversity where he also hopes to row.Will Stephenson is attending school inMaine and doing well. He is enjoying thefishing and hanging out with friends. PeterStone is attending Colby College. He spentthe fall semester studying in France and wasable to travel to Paris, London, Germanyand Switzerland. He sends his best to everyoneat Fenn! Chris Swearingen is at QuinnipiacUniversity in Connecticut. StevenValchuis is attending Hobart College inGeneva, NY. Andrew Wolf worked with agroup of friends to start The 20 Cent TheaterCompany. Last August he directed thecompany’s production of Happy Days bySamuel Beckett. Andrew is currently attendingthe University of Wisconsin at Madison.Justin Wu is a freshman at Ithaca College inNew York. Michael Zellmann-Rohrer isattending Harvard University. Alex Greenspent last year studying abroad in Italy.34Class of 2004Nick Green will graduate from ConcordAcademy this June. He was co-captain ofthe varsity soccer team this year, a memberof the ski team and theater tech crew. Heplans to hike the Appalachian Trail aftergraduation with Fenn classmate AaronBembenek. Will Kussin was awarded the2006 Jack Murray Award for personifyingConcord-Carlisle High School soccer. Hecredits Fenn with the invaluable lessons helearned on the athletic fields and in theclassrooms. B. J. Moriarty was captain ofthe Concord Academy lacrosse team andwas named to the Eastern IndependentLeague (EIL) team for the second year in arow. B.J. was also EIL All League in soccer.Class of 2005Sam Megowen was honored by the BostonGlobe Scholastic Art Awards with a SilverKey for his ceramic piece. The judgesselected winners from 3,550 entries from398 Massachusetts schools. Sam’s piecewas on display at the Massachusetts StateTransportation Building in February. TripSmith was named to the Eastern IndependentLeague (EIL) All League tennis teamlast spring. Patrick Walker was named tothe EIL All League baseball team lastspring.Class of 2006Sean Carey is enjoying Choate RosemaryHall, where he is playing tennis and basketball.He is also in a band, KommanderKim. Sam Schuster was among 16 ConcordAcademy students who scored in the90 th percentile or higher on the NationalGerman exam last spring. Ravy Uong participatedin the 2005 Southeast AsianGames, an event that drew athletes from11 countries to the Philippines to competein a variety of sports. Ravy competed asCambodia’s #2 tennis player. More recentlyhe competed in San Antonio in a U18national ITF-sanctioned tournament thathas participants from around the world.Currently Ravy is ranked #11 in New Englandamong U18 boys and is a sophomoreat Lawrence Academy.Members of the Class of 2006 returned to campus during their winter break.(left to right) Jeff Trotsky, Zach Driscoll, Frankie Crowley, Paul Keane, Stephen Winslow,Rob Kolowich and Andrew Bernard

Class NotesCLASS OF 1938Gordon AllenEric BillingsAllen FossThomas GorhamDavid GramkowDavid HoldenPeter WinantCLASS OF 1943Thomas BarberHarold CabotRichard GouldPeter V. HamiltonJohn HollisGifford MaloneWesley RichMalcolm RichardsFrederick RobbinsFrederick SnowWilliam WarrenCLASS OF 1948Douglas ArnoldDonald BurgessJohn CameronChristopher GravinaJames KnowlesJames McMastersRonald MillerBernard NelsonSherman PealeJames PenningtonJonathan PowersDavid ShermanPlease help us find our “lost” 2008 reunion alumni.James WalkerPaul WashburnKent WeldCLASS OF 1953Jeffrey ArnoldAnthony BeckwithKenneth CowanNicholas DavisonD. Cameron ForbesRobert MillerWilliam MoodyJohn MorseDavid NobleMichel RozsaDudley ShortRoger SmithDavid YensCLASS OF 1958Bruce FairbairnDavid KennedyJames TewCLASS OF 1963Richard BroomeHenry EdgartonBruce FallwellF. Bruce FosterRichard HarteFrazier HollingsworthEdward JacksonDavid JudaCharles LeeIrwin LevineA. Graham McIlwaineRobin MooreRobert NissPierre SerondeCLASS OF 1968Frederick BigelowJohn T. ClunieFrancis CoolidgeNorman DegelmanRhodes LockwoodScott MillikenMichael MorrisSteven PerryStephen SanfordRichard SouzaPeter StoutCLASS OF 1973Russelldes CognetsJohn EnoCharles GordyJonathan HerzPaul HeuchlingHarry IrvingGeorge KingMark LeeEdward PickmanChristopher RaymondAndrew ReynoldsSteffan SendersDarryl StowePeter TaylorRichard H. WinsorCLASS OF 1978Stephen BartonTodd BerksonFrancis BryJohn CoughlinAndrew C. DolanDavid FreedKenneth HarrisAndrew LangtonEric MahlowitzJonathan MarleyJason PittsTimothy PrendergastWinfield StanleyChristopher StigumCLASS OF 1983William BryDwight DavidsenNathaniel DeanAaron GoldbergJames GormanJon JohnsonDavid KochPeter KuykendallAndrew MajewskiAnthony MorrisThomas O'ConnorMassimo DePaoliWilliam RothChristopher SandersMichael TaubR. Christopher TurnerPaul VingerMurray WandTimothy WengerOn Sunday, June 4, 2006 sixmembers of the Fenncommunity helped to raisemoney to support the thirtyoneagencies funded by theConcord-Carlisle CommunityChest. They participated in ateam triathlon that includedbiking, running and canoeingthrough Concord andCarlisle.(left to right) Jason Robarts,Jr. ’08, Drew Vanasse ’07,Andrew Waters ’07, BarbaraPike, former Fenn faculty,Jason Robarts, Sr., parent ofFenn student, and JasonRude, Fenn facultyCLASS OF 1988Jonathan AdolphJeremy ButtonPaul Tsung-FuChenSteven ChungKevin DavidsenChristopher KaiserErik NorwoodJames SeamansCLASS OF 1993Ansel FreniereDavid GarofaloPatrick HarneyNathan J.KraftAdrian LigginsBenjamin F. SargentGuido WennemerKevin WhiteC. Cameron WilsonBenjamin ZottoCLASS OF 1998Adam KolloffJonathan LawrenceDaris PaddockCLASS OF 2003Andrew Pedulla-ProutyIf you have information on any of these alumni who will celebrate a reunion in 2008, please contactSusan Richardson, Director of Constituent Relations, (978) 318-3526 or srichardson@fenn.org35

MilestonesMarriagesNicholas Leone ’79 toLindsay Van HoutenOctober 8, 2006Joseph Hackett ’84 toHeather Ann FinleySeptember 10, 2005James Christian ’86 toKerry GlenJune 25, 2005Gregory Broyles ’89 toShelby LessmanMarch 18, 2005Peter Freeland ’89 toBrooke CouchSeptember 23, 2006To Tom Hudner ’87 andJennifer, a sonThomas J. Hunder IVNovember 4, 2006To Kyle Norris ’89 andAlison Carter, twin sonsMiller Adams and Grafton PeterOctober 4, 2006To Aaron Joncas ’91 andLauri, a sonAaron MichaelApril 19, 2007To Carolyn Milligan,Fenn faculty, andChris Luciano, a sonCaleb O’Neill LucianoJune 18, 2006To Liz Wei, Fenn faculty andDavid, a sonAlexander Mei-Zhong North WeiMarch 8, 2007In MemoriamEdward Emerson ’35August 21, 2006Francis “Bud” Houston ’36December 1, 2006Phyllis Ames CoxFebruary 6, 2007Mother of Archibald Cox, Jr. ’54Frederic “Lanny” DayDecember 25, 2006Father of Stephen ’58,Jonathan ’60, George ’64Patrick de BeauportNovember 15, 2006Former Fenn FacultySallie ErhardMother of Lincoln ’72,Henry ’74, Paul ’77Fenn Librarian 1972-1987Gardner FayFather of Stephen Fay ’79Alexander GriecoDecember 28, 2006Father of Susan Richardson,Director ofConstituent RelationsGrandfather ofAndrew Richardson ’05William “Bill” TraversOctober 27, 2006Father of Robert Travers ’63Fenn Faculty 1956-1979Eleanor Twitchell GustafsonApril 16, 2006Friend of FennHenry LyonsAugust 27, 2006Father of Robert Lyons ’71Georgine “Gigi” KussinWife ofWilliam “Fritz” Kussin ’47Grandmother of Bronson ’03and Will ’04Jane MarrowMay 31, 2006Wife of Gordon Bemis ’65Mother of Robert Bemis ’01Alvin V. Baird, Jr. ’32July 7, 2006Elizabeth BenedicFormer Fenn TutorMarch 1, 2007Robert “Toby” WesselhoeftApril 16, 2007Father of Johannes ’06and Christian ’09David Spinola and Kelly MurphyDavid Spinola ’93 toKelly MurphyMay 20, 2006Garreth Biegun ’94 toDebbie SchwartzDecember 12, 2006Michael Denault ’96 toLynn IvaskaOctober 15, 2005BirthsTo Eric Harnden ’85and Jill Guzzi,former Fenn faculty, twinsSpencer Guzzi Harnden, a sonParke Guzzi Harnden, a daughterNovember 29, 2006Whitney Doe ’39June 10, 2006Brother of Bill Doe ’34Stanton “Tony” Garfield ’39March 23, 2006Former Fenn facultyJ. Dana Eastham ’45March 25, 2006Thomas Shaw ’58August 1, 2006John BemisNovember 6, 2006Father of John ’60, Gordon ’65Grandfather of Taylor ’98,Robert ’01Walter BordenHusband ofMargaret Fenn BordenFriend of FennRichard CaseJune 1, 2005Fenn Faculty 1974–1985SAVE THE DATE!PLEASE JOIN US FOR OURALUMNI GOLF OUTINGFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2007CONCORD COUNTRY CLUBAdditional information will be mailed this summer.Contact Susan Richardson, srichardson@fenn.org, (978)318-352636

THE FENN SCHOOL516 MONUMENT STREETCONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS 01742-1894Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. PostagePAIDPermit #901432Parents of AlumniIf this publication is addressed to yourson, and he no longer maintains apermanent address at your home,please notify the alumni office of hisnew mailing address (978-318-3526 oralumni@fenn.org). Thank you!