History Conference
Little Brother Paul Acello and Big Brother David Manners-Weber are best buddies for life.
Oh, Brother! Someone, other than our parents, has positively influenced us and broadened our horizons. There are great teachers, steady mentors, best friends, and here at Brunswick, there are Big Brothers. Leslie Andersen, head of Student Services, has founded the Big Brother/Little Brother program that matches Upper School boys with Pre- and Lower School boys for a yearlong friendship and connection. The “big” boys see their little brothers at least once a week, organize playground games like Duck, Duck, Goose, work in the art rooms, or simply catch up over a grilled cheese sandwich in the Lower School cafeteria. “I have two older brothers and have always looked up to them, so this is a great chance for me to be a big brother, too,” said Tommy Hoyos ’08. “I’ve always been one to focus on school,” said David Manners-Weber ’06. “But while academic success is important to me, being a Big Brother has provided me some muchneeded balance in my life. I’d much rather go play freeze-tag than study in a library carrel.” “The Big Brother Program is great because it keeps the Upper Schoolers connected with the Lower Schoolers,” said Charlie Gumz ’06. “Being on separate campuses, in separate buildings, it’s easy to forget that the Lower School even exists. The Big Brother Program really gives us a chance to interact with the younger kids in a positive way. Not to mention, it is a whole lot of fun for us older kids to relive our younger days.” Upper School boys must apply to the program, are interviewed by Mrs. Andersen, and approved by their advisors and teachers before they can participate. After all, it takes proven commitment, responsibility and reliability to be a true Big Brother.
Times of Brunswick
Big Brother Corey Dobbs ’08 and his Little Brother take a second from coloring to give a hug.
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Tommy Hoyos ’08 is a Big Brother indeed. Here he is with Little Brother David Cloobeck, on a beautiful day at the kindergarten playground.
History department chairman John Booth, along with Upper School colleagues Robert Taylor and Tommy Mulvoy, attended the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) 2005-2006 Professional Development Series Seminar, “Making a Place for Africa in the High School History Curriculum.” Professor Maxell Amoh, originally from Ghana, is current director of African Studies at the Yale Center for International and Area Studies. His workshop and round-table discussion focused on the risks and rewards of teaching Africa from a uniquely African perspective. Messieurs Booth, Taylor, and Mulvoy were asked to discuss their experiences teaching African history and culture to Brunswick 9th graders. They also participated in learning activities to further broaden their perspectives on teaching the African culture. Mr. Booth noted, “Through his lessons, Professor Amoh gave us a window into the soul of Africa. His sincere message helped us to better understand what it means to be African.”
“Italiano al
Brunswick ”
Ferragamo, Gucci, Valentino, prosciutto e melone, spaghetti carbonara, o sole mio! The past twenty years or so have seen Italian food and culture become part of the American mainstream. With this, there has been a significant increase in interest in the Italian language itself. For a few years, students at Brunswick and Greenwich Academy have requested that an Italian program be offered as part of the language offerings at the coordinated schools. Two years ago, Father Richard Cipolla, chair of the Brunswick classics department, suggested to the Headmaster that we consider initiating an Italian language program. Tom Philip gave full support, as did Greenwich Academy. Father Cipolla agreed to teach the first year of Italian, and in summer 2005, took intense preparation courses both in the U.S. and in Rome. The response to the offering of Italian class has been molto positivo. Today, Brunswick offers two full sections of Italian I, and has a total of 28 students. Next year, Greenwich Academy language teacher Sylvia Krantz will join our Italian program as we move into more advanced levels. Che bella cosa!