Annual Report 2019-2020 SPRING 2022
Construction on phase one of our classroom village is underway , which will add much-needed learning space and will positively position The Bay School for the region’s population growth. We are grateful to the donors who have helped make the beginnings of this expansion possible, and we welcome others to consider a gift in support of our growth and preparation for generations to come.
Another noteworthy aspect of the current school year is the physical transformation taking place on campus. We have been working for over a year on a new Master Plan for our campus, and are in the process of a mini-feasibility study. Creating space for our growing early childhood program is an important aspect of this plan as there is such a need for developmentally appropriate programs for our youngest children.
I am enthusiastic and optimistic about the remainder of the school year and the traditional celebrations ahead in the next two months. I am also filled with gratitude for our students, their families, our faculty and staff, and board of directors—collectively, the “village” referred to in the well-known African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” Thank you for your participation in this most important endeavor.
It’s hard to believe we are just a few weeks from the end of the school year! And what a year it has been.
As in the 2020-21 academic year, The Bay School’s ability to avoid periodic shifts to remote learning and quarantining has been possible because of the high number of vaccinated individuals as well as our pooled testing program. Student and family cooperation and faculty flexibility and patience also have made such a difference. That said, we also benefited from a great deal of good luck thanks to relatively low rates of Covid exposure and illness in our area.
Best HeadMarciawishes,DiamondofSchool
First and foremost, our school community has remained remarkably healthy despite the pandemic and the usual assortment of seasonal illnesses. As a result we have been able to maintain in-person learning and operations, which in turn has provided our students and school families with an important sense of normalcy.
THE BAYBROOMSCHOOL
—Rudolf Steiner
Children who learn while they are young to make practical things by hand in an artistic way and for the benefit of others as well as themselves, will not be strangers to life or to other people when they are older. They will be able to form their lives and their relationships in a social and artistic way, so that their lives are thereby enriched.
In early fall, eighth-grade students had the opportunity to craft their own whisk brooms with broom corn grown and harvested during a previous year in Agricultural Arts. Josh Wehrwein, Woodworking teacher, and Heather Dawn Jones, Agricultural Arts teacher, (both pictured below) led the students in crafting their brooms.
Students formed brooms by tightly wrapping nylon thread around broomstraw, using foot treadles to hold tension. They plaited patterns in the broom handles by bending and weaving broom stalks. Finally they shaped the bristles, holding them in place with one or two rows of stitching. The process of constructing usable brooms, crafted by their own hands, will play a small but important role in enriching these students’ lives for years to come!
CLASS
Kristy clearly has a way with children. She has been teaching at The Bay School in one capacity or another since 1994. In 2006, she began holding students as a lower grades teacher from their second-grade year to their fifth-grade year. In that span of time, she has been able to see each child as the individuals they are, bringing her deep understanding of child development, her passion for art and nature, her genuine kindness, respect, empathy for her students, her sense of humor, and her stellar storytelling skills with her to school each day. She holds moments of wonder, of despair, of joy, and of entanglement with the same amount of reverence. She has an innate ability to see the whole child in a way that prepares them well for their time in the upper grades. When a child stumbles with a friend, their writing, reading, their painting or themselves, Kristy has a gift of reflecting back to them their own tenderness, their strengths, and their abilities, enabling the child to see themselves in a different light. Conversely, for those children who might seemingly show up strong in many areas, Kristy gently finds a way to ask them to have the courage to try something new and that doesn’t come easily. By the time the students leave Kristy’s class, they begin to see themselves as she sees them: wonderfully whole.
Kristy’s contributions to the school stretch farther than the classroom. She was instrumental in her role as faculty chair for four years, mentor to many student teachers, mentor to Waldorf schools across the country interested in our model of combined grades, and art teacher to upper grades, to name a few. We will forever be grateful for the beautiful logo she designed for us in 2018. Her care for others, her colleagueship, and her deep regard for The Bay School is reflected in the following pages. Kristy, thank you for your incredible service to our school. We wish you well! RETIRINGKRISTYTEACHERCUNNANE
Kristy is a lot of things to a lot of people. To her colleagues, she is a trusted friend and collaborator; to the families she helped usher through the school, she is a beloved educator; and to her students, she is deeply admired. So when she announced that she is retiring at the end of this year, there was a collective sadness that she would not continue to be part of the fabric of our school on a daily basis, but there was excitement as well. She will be able to spend more time with her family and her art, take time to pursue causes she has always felt so passionate about, and find new passions along the way.
Middle Row: Judith Chittenden, Megan MacArthur, Michelle Stuckey, Kathie Burnett, Diane Fitzgerald, Catherine Razi
After those first two years with Kristy as a mentor, I had twelve years of carrying classes myself. And then, as an upper grades teacher, every four years I received from Kristy three classes of younger students. Each was distinct and each brought with them a trust in the love and artistry of their teacher, an openness to learning, and a growing comfort in their own skins. How does she do this? She integrates technique with self, clarity with love, form with creativity. She learns from students what to teach, and teaches what students seek to learn: what it is to be a loving, engaged human being. As a colleague, Kristy can be fiercely independent and generously collaborative. Some of my favorite conver sations with her are thinking and feeling about students: their poignant needs, celebrated growth, and specific chal lenges. Her spirit wrapped round the school like the dusky wings of a bird, lightly and clearly holding. And then, she helped us all to fly.
I joined The Bay School faculty at 23 years old, with so much to learn about teaching. Kristy has been a steady mentor and source of guidance and inspiration throughout the years. Among the myriad practical and artistic gifts she brings to teaching is her capacity for imaginative storytelling. She has told countless stories across the seasons to class after class, truly developing into a master storyteller. I have seen rooms of children fall into rapt silence, erupt with gleeful laughter, and then return to the deepest listening as she speaks. I am so grateful to have worked with her and for the lasting gifts she has given my son among so many others.
A Message from Scott Springer, Upper Grades Class Teacher
Faculty 1998-1999
I joined the Bay School staff in September 1996 as the afternoon teacher for Kristy’s 4th/5th grade class, so she could go home to be with her toddler.
Seated: Scott Springer, Bags Brokaw, David Koenka
One day on her desk was a raven sketch and some words: “The class was sweet and focused this morning. Look at their beautiful drawings. Have them sit at their desks for lunch—there was an argument during games class. They are loving the read-aloud you chose. Enjoy them, they are so funny. Thank you, my dear.” With notes like these, I was warmly enfolded into the community of learners that have always been Kristy’s classes. What an honor and joyous training to work with her.
Top Row: Jane Clifton, Paula Runge, Merrie Eley, Kristy Cunnane
A Message from Ian Chittenden, Upper Grades Class Teacher
In yet another testment to how community weaves here at The Bay School, Kristy Cunnane and I have a long and layered relationship. I was classmates with her eldest son here through 8th grade; a decade later I taught her younger son for three years; now she teaches my growing son.
“Joy” is a word people associate with Kristy. She exudes joy in all she does and sparks joy in all with whom she Kristyinteracts.was the Faculty Chair when I joined The Bay School as Head of School in 2016. In those roles we worked closely together, and through her I learned so much about our school community of teachers, parents and friends. I quickly developed an appreciation of her as an educator, colleague, and person. Like so many others, I was also inspired by her broad knowledge and creativity, augmented by her clever sense of humor.
Kristy will always have a special place in the hearts of those who have had the privilege to work alongside her. We are grateful for her generous spirit and look for ward to all the ways we will celebrate her in the days to come. Though Kristy’s daily presence will be missed next school year, we look forward to welcoming her back for occasional visits and special events.
Kristy arrived in my life when my daughter, Castine Dow, entered her class in 3rd grade in 1995. Castine was fortunate enough to be taught by Kristy for four years, which Castine remem bered so clearly when she recently interned for a month in Kristy’s class. Those early years included so many artistic activities, listening to numerous stories, working to fill main lesson books, playing with friends, and feeling safe, seen, and loved by her teacher.
A Message from Mary Whiting Head of School 2005 - 2010
As a former Bay School director, I remember the strength of Kristy’s character and her ability to listen and to speak directly and honestly. Her warmth enfolded her students and their parents, the entire faculty, the larger Bay School community, and me. Her honesty gave all of us pause to reconsider whatever might be under discus sion. And her humor and laughter could lighten up any difficult discussion.
A Message from From Marcia Diamond Head of School 2016 - Present
In my work for The Bay School, I learned that a good teacher ought to be cherished, that teaching is an act of love, and that we who were students and colleagues of Kristy were blessed by her every offering to us. As she moves on to whatever her next steps are, we will always remember her with gratitude and love.
support by meeting each and every one of us where we were at. She taught us to find wonder in the world in the smallest of details and to understand the interconnectedness that we all share. One of the many memories that stands out was exploring Great Wass Island. The trip taught us determination through our exploration in the rain, learning to embrace life’s challenges through endurance. Thank you for your dedication and for helping to shape me into the person I am today. I love you and wish you the very best in your well-earned retirement.”
“I can think of few people who have made such a tremendous impact in my life as you, Kristy. I am so grateful for the boundless patience and kindness you showed me as a student, all of which has helped shape me as an adult. One only needs to look at all the students who you have helped grow in order to truly see the kindhearted, dedicated mentor that we all know you to be and the helpfulness and love you radiate!”
“You will never be just a teacher to me; you have taught me about the importance of laughter and sharing laughter, that mistakes are just lessons in disguise, and that there is art in everything we do. It’s a blessing to be around you when you are laughing. You have one of the most infectious laughs. Kristy, you radiate joy and love. When I think of the kind of teacher I aspire to be, you are one that comes to mind. I’m forever grateful for The Bay School family that has helped to shape the woman I am today.”
Joy Cartwright ’13
“Kristy’s brilliant artwork, warm hugs, wise advice, witty practicality, and rollicking sense of humor encompass so much of what I cherish most about my time at The Bay School. She always made me feel (and still does!) loved, respected, and grounded. She regaled
Amara Birdsall ’17
Mary Anne Hutchinson
“I can’t pull a singular anecdote that sums up everything that Kristy means to me. When I was a child, she was on par with a mythic being. To my eyes then, she knew everything, could make virtually any topic interesting, and had unbelievable artistic talent. She wasn’t merely my teacher, she was and still is my friend and supporter. She shaped my childhood and made me the woman I am today, and for that I’m eternally grateful. I’m proud to call her my colleague and friend, and I know I can never fully express just what she means to me.”
“Near the end of our amazing nineyear run of having one of our daughters in her classroom, Kristy shared with us a practice that she does each night of lighting a candle and one by one going through each and every child in her class, mentally “holding them in the light” and thinking about something that she appreciated or admired about each of them. It made sense, as she had ALWAYS told us how much she loved our daughters (it took me a few years to realize that she said that to all of her parents—and always meant it). She really SEES each student—and LOVES each one. The children felt it. We as parents felt it. Even with all of her other awesome attributes as a teacher (wisdom, equanimity, and a wicked good sense of humor) it was always the honest and steadfast love for each and every one of her students, which was her greatest gift to us all.”
“Kristy will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to the time we shared at The Bay School. She taught me to embrace creativity, honor my strengths, and follow my passions. She showed us unconditional love and
Marianne Vandiver Parent to Maira ’14 and Magnolia ’17
Walter Lange ’14
“You were such a large part of my childhood and have always been a role model for me. Being in your class was such a joyous experience; I remember seeing new artwork across the blackboard each week and becoming so excited to learn. You’ve touched so many lives through your work, and I can’t wait to see where your new journey takes you.”
Marinda Boëchat ’13
us with hilarious stories that would have everyone rolling in laughter. Thanks for everything, Kristy—you’re the best!”
Joseph Hermans
“Kristy was like a second mother to me through my time at The Bay School: an artist, wisewoman, and friend; she taught me far more than arithmetic, poetry, or Greek myths. She is a constant well of grounded strength, childlike playfulness, compassion, and warmth. I remember bawling into her arms countless times over various middle school dramas while she held me with everlasting patience, always reassuringly certain that my broken fort or loss of a special stone was not, in fact, a sign of impending doom. I am beyond grateful for the years I spent with her at The Bay School!”
Phebe O’Connor ’18
Bella Cimeno ’13
Parent to Finley ’25 and Violette ’22
“Kristy shaped our community of learners from our stick forts at recess, woven main lesson stories, and nature journaling under the budding trees. Kristy fostered an innate joy in exploration and a beauty in building connections with each other and the world around us, coaxing us to grow through her genuine kindness, love, and dedication to incorporating the spark we each brought into the classroom, despite how challenging we could be! Experiencing this patience, passion for learning, and adventurous curiosity has inspired me to embark on the journey of elementa ry teaching next year.”
“Dearest Kristy, you have been a thefamilysupporttremendoustomythroughoutpast15years,
both as a class teacher for both Han nah and Mary Anne, and as a guide through our homeschooling journey. Your wisdom has brought clarity on those tough days when I needed it most. Your encouragement to dig deeper, be open to life’s changes, and keep striving for truth has helped shape our daughters into the amazing humans they are today and will become tomorrow. Thank you for shining your light. Much love and many blessings from the Hutchinson family.”
Zeya Lorio ’14
“Kristy’s creativity, humor, curiosity, and fierce love has touched so many students. I experienced this firsthand as her stu dent and then as I was welcomed back as a student teacher. Her love is visible in so many ways: beautiful birthday paintings, recess coupons, discussions on respect, and endless laughs over the many calamities that occurred while painting. I will remember so many of our shared moments, but among my most treasured are the early morning visits to her class once I was in the upper grades: to laugh, catch up, and maybe even share a piece of chocolate.”
Parent Susan Hutchinson Hannah ’14, Mary Anne and Abby
Andy and Donna Birdsall Parents to Amara ’17
“Kristy, we feel blessed for getting to know you over the three years you taught Amara. You were a pivotal person in her growth. A strong force, a guiding light. You’re an amazing artist, teacher, and friend. We have become friends over the years, we cherish this relationship, and we are looking forward to your next journey.”
“I have fortunatebeentohave my two children in Kristy’s classroom and heart. Our time together began in September of 2015 and continues through this coming June, for her final seven years of teaching our children. Kristy’s steady, kind, selfless, and deeply loving pres ence has been both a gift and comfort. I am beyond grateful for Kristy and our time with her. My joy for her next chapter in life is greater than the times I will miss her. Our experiences with Kristy will always be with us.”
Anna Trowbridge ’17
“Everyone who meets you is in awe of your kind creativity,ness, wit, and wisdom. Your comforting, encouraging spirit guid ed me when I was younger, and your support as I have grown older has been so appreciated. Often, I think back to the afternoons my class and I spent with you painting downstairs in Emlen Hall. I still use the watercolor techniques you taught, but more frequently I practice the art of joyful laughter, warmth, and imagination that you brought to each lesson. We love and admire you! Wish ing you endless happiness and peace in your retirement.”
Carri Lange Parent to Julia and Walter ’14
Hannah Hutchinson ’14
Judith Chittenden Former Bay School Faculty
with aplomb and common sense, great good humor, and love. Thank you.”
“Kind, guidedyoutolerant;inimitable,refreshing,savvy,Kristy,taughtandourfamily
“When Kristy arrived at The Bay School, she had all of the qualities and talents to thrive as a class teacher. She quickly embraced the Waldorf curriculum and the way we teach. To step into her classroom as her mentor was simply magical. Her stories mesmerized her students. The artwork on the blackboard was always so perfect for the block being taught. I love subbing for her because I look forward to stepping into her classroom to see her beautiful art and what she is bringing the children. I know it’s going to be a great day seeing all of the happy children that she has shepherded along. I loved teaching with you. Kristy….. may the road rise to meet you.”
Robin Barstow Parent to Adelin
“Kristy was not just teacher,Walter’sshe was a guiding light and loving force in our family. A particular comment she made one Kindergarten afternoon shifted my entire parenting perspective. Kristy shared that striving for the best for our children and families counts, even as we fail over and over as mere mortal moms and dads. This compassionate and kind feedback helped our family through a particularly challenging time, and it was such a relief to return to it over and over through the years. We are so grateful to Kristy and will love her forever.”
Magnolia Vandiver ’17
Pat Lown Parent to Sam ’13 and Anna ’17
“I could pick any moment with Kristy to share what a well-beloved teacher she is, but I suppose that is why she is so extraordinary. Kristy is so generous with her knowledge, her time, and her spirit. It seems impossible to encounter her and not come away with a new inspiration, a new recipe, or even just a better feeling. I may have been gently warned away from talking with her at every recess because I was supposed to “go play”, but I gained so much from those conversations. Kristy, your gifts to The Bay School are completely and utterly immeasurable. We love you so much.”
“We all love Kristy. She was Adelin’s teacher, but she seemed to know that to teach a student includes teaching the parents. I have so many memories of her warmth and laughter and fierce faith in the children. The memory that has sunk the deepest into my heart though, is her belief in Adelin. We would have parent-teacher conferences about whatever they were studying and working on, yet what she always wanted us to really know was that she believed in Adelin. At her young age, she may be shy and sometimes lack confidence, but that was not who she was fundamentally. Her struggles in school were to be considered seriously, to be supported, and addressed to help her with her progress, of course. Her successes in school and brilliance and talents were to be celebrated, of course. But all of that was frosting on the cake of believing in who Adelin was, who Adelin is, in her essence. Kristy always left us with the wise, loving, clear pedagogy that she believed in our daughter.”
“This is my second draft. My first attempt was over the word limit. How to be brief when describing what Kristy means to us? Kristy has been teacher to all three of our daugh ters. This means nine years of teaching them. Really, nine years of growing them. Kristy has been a second mother. She received them all a touch wobbly, and she skillfully and lovingly opened the world for them. Each of my daughters stands stronger, fuller, and with more joy and purpose as they leave her 4/5 class. I think of Mother Earth when I think of Kristy. She is so grounded, gentle and strong, so caring and nurturing. Like her artwork expressing nature, symmetry, beauty and love, Kristy gifts these same attributes to us just by being a presence among us.”
“Dear Kristy, I am so glad to BayyouworkedhavewithatTheSchool
Nina Fleming Parent to Millie ’18 and Milo ’20
“We love Kristy and teachingvalueimmeasurabletheofherfor
our youngest son and so many others! Her attention, care, and leadership with the class that we were in can still be felt today—and these kids are now in their 20’s, some are graduating this spring from college. Their respect, gratitude, and curiosity towards the world was fostered and enriched by Kristy’s early guidance. Her gift as a teacher is to be found far and wide outside her classroom, and there are many of us who recognize and treasure it for what it is = love of the children and seeing them grow into good people.”
Burr O’Connnor
for so long. I started looking back at those times and went into a long rev erie...too long to write here. I remem ber you as an artist, teacher, writer, mother, friend, and much more. All the best in your retirement.”
warmth and love we felt in your class room. No matter what was going on— in the world or just in Millie’s private thoughts—she took comfort in your guidance. You are a strong, incredible woman, Kristy. Whether learning to paint a fox or learning to appreciate practical shoes, you were just the thing she needed. Your sincere appreciation of the kids was always visible—both in your astute observations and your laughter—and for this I have so much gratitude. May the days ahead hold grand adventures.”
Isabel Karl Former Bay School Faculty
Robin O’Connor
Nicolas Lindholm Parent to Everett ’09 and Julian ’13
you. You taught me everything from watercolors to Wabanaki folklore, and whether I was overcome by middle school angst or gut-busting laughter at your entertaining stage adaptions of Norse myths, you were always there with an ever-reassuring smile and a hug. Your classroom was warm, full of love, and even fuller of your fantastic sense of humor. Thank you for being the kindest and bestest teacher ever, and for sharing a certain unforgettable story about Gerald, Fish of the Ocean, which I would love to hear again someday. All the best going forward.”
Parent to Phebe ’18 Moira ’20 and Isa ’25
“We love you, Kristy!”
Parent to Phebe ’18, Moira ’21, Isa ’25
“I’m luckysoI got to yearsthreespendwholewith
Parent to Caden ’21, Aria ’24
Tim LaFlam
Millie Fleming ’18
Parent to Tommy ’19, Owen ’21, Shep ’27 and Rosie ’29
“Long past are the days of the spelling tests and Gilgamesh, but still with us are the
Josh Wehrwein
Waldorf teachers are offered the challenge and opportunity to educate and model in a way that balances the realms of head, heart, and hands. Our colleagueship is central to the personal and professional growth this requires, and we have been fortunate to retain long-standing relationships.
Indeed, The Bay School continues to thrive in part because of our dedicated faculty. We have been blessed across the last several decades to count among our own the talented and beloved Ruth Fiske, Bob Slayton, and Merrie Eley.
Ruth and Bob, as specialty teachers for so long, have carried and enlivened two of the most cherished programs in the school. Handworks and Games class are perennial student favorites, and this is testament to their devotion, big spirits, and exceptional teaching. Merrie has been a mainstay at the school for decades, flexibly working in numerous roles, and holding central all the while her love of the school, and the celebration of the young child.
As they take their departure from us for new adventures, they leave with us a boundless legacy: so many handworks projects created by dextrous fingers, uncountable creative games through all seasons and in all weathers, and delightful puppet stories and early childhood magic conjured by the aproned and attentive Merrie Eley.
We send them off with our deepest gratitude. And now, Ruth, Bob, and Merrie share their reflections in their own words in the following pages.
It was an honor to co-chair two reaccreditation processes. Through those times I have watched our beloved school navigate crests and troughs of change and growth, rising to its present place of strength and knowledge of who we are as a school community.
After much soul searching and thought processing, I have decided to retire at the end of this school year. This has not been an easy decision because The Bay School has been my life and love for 27 years. Over the years in Early Childhood, I have worked alongside quite a wonderful cast of characters: Paula, Diane, Isabel, Moira, Ginger, Kristy, Joyce, Meg, Margot, Kasha, Maple, and Marinda. I have learned so much from all of my colleagues. They have given me strength, resilience, and love. Caring for the children has been my true joy at our school. They have taught me to love unconditionally and how to let them grow and thrive into their unique selves.
This journey at The Bay School has filled my heart and soul and yet it is time to continue my own journey to spend more time with my husband going on adventures with our little travel trailer.
It has been a gift this year to be working closely with Kasha and the Kindergarten children back in the main school building where I began at the school and with Marinda, who I taught in Kindergarten. The circle is complete. It is a good time for the door to open for a new person to join the Early Childhood team.
With gratitude and love, Merrie
Dear Bay School Community,
As this is the season for the natural world to be opening up to the gifts of the returning sun, I too find myself opening up to a new opportunity to work full time as the Boarding Admissions Director at George Stevens Academy. I am ripe for the challenge and eager to play a role in building and developing the international program, which adds so much to our community and school.
I will miss you all with all my heart.
It has been a pleasure, and my heart swells with gratitude. I leave with cherished memories of your children. I will hold them always as a source of joy and happiness and think of them always with fondness and wishes for their ongoing health and joy. I leave still feeling connected to my colleagues and The Bay School community by whom I will always feel held and supported though I depart their circle.
Bob
It is with gratitude and sadness I share with you all that I will be leaving the Bay School after this academic year. I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach your children and to be among the support and inspiration of my colleagues. One of our visiting mentors once remarked he could feel the warmth and love as he stepped into the building. The Bay School has a feeling of the heart, of love, and of caring. It is a beautiful place to work. I was lucky to have been able to walk into this place of warmth and love each Tuesday and Thursday for the last sixteen years and bring games and movement experiences to your children. I am grateful for the work and inspiration of Rudolf Steiner whose ideas continue to inform and guide us to a more loving human community. I am grateful for my mentors Marjorie Spock and Jaime MacMillan who helped shape my work and understanding of movement and who I tried to summon in thought each day. I am grateful to my colleagues, my family, and so many more who supported, inspired, and cared for me along the way. I hope I have been able to share and convey some of these movement traditions and knowledge with the children: the opportunity for joy in play and movement, the possibility of movement to promote personal health and well-being, and for movement to promote healthy relationships to the world and each other.
I have loved all of these positions and my time in the classroom with the children. I have been so enriched by all these experiences. I am going to miss my colleagues, as well as the parents and children who make this such a special place. I feel, too, that it is time for me to give more to our family farm and business.
With much love and gratitude to all, Ruth
I want to let you all know that I will be retiring at the end of this year from the Handwork teaching position. My decision comes with mixed emotions—I have had many years of rich engagement over 20 years at The Bay School: as a parent with enrolled children, as a volunteer, being an assistant in Handworks with Kathie Burnett, and in my current position as lead Handworks teacher.
Dear Bay School Community,
“Finding rocks and making stacks passed the time.” What was once a hobby to pass the time soon became a personal challenge and eventually, through his perseverance, an artform. Over the past couple of years, he has been invited to galleries and schools showcasing his form of ephemeral art: an artform that, by definition, is temporary. “My work is definitely not about the end-product. When you have expectations, you lose the present moment and it’s critical for my artform to stay in the moment.”
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
In the last four years, Alex has learned a lot about perseverance. After graduating with a B.A. in New Media and a Minor in Innovation Engineering from the University of Maine in Orono, he has been tapping into his studies in different ways. Back in 2018, he found himself in Stonington, Maine, lobstering and without a car to get around in. “I ended up spending a lot of time alone at the beach.
Alex ended up winning the prize for Best Scenic Design by the prestigious Maine BroadwayWorld.
The rocks go up, the rocks come down. Building impermanent sculpture with rocks he selects from our natural craggy coastline, Alex works with gravity and balance to create impressively tall, sometimes inconceivably erect, pieces that make you wonder how they could possibly stay put. Once, at the show Do not Move Stones hosted by Isle Theater Company & The Reach Performing Art Center in Deer Isle, a man in the audience, so sure Alex had used some sort of adhesive to keep the stacks in place, poked at a stack, confident that he would expose something nefarious. “It was actually a great moment because the rocks came tumbling down. Everyone clapped and the guy felt really bad, but I thought it was great that people could see that it was real.” What made that day even better?
When Alex was an 8th-grade student at The Bay School back in 2009, he aptly chose magic as his area of study for his 8th-grade project, “I enjoy magic. I had to learn a lot of hand-eye coordination techniques to successfully make the magic happen.” When looking back at his Bay School experience, he attributes his work in his Main Lesson books to his success as an artist today. “I cannot express how fortunate I was to be able to learn that way. Being able to draw and write my own textbook rather than reading a textbook from years ago is the way to learn. I loved getting the lesson from my teacher and then using my own creative way of illustrating that lesson. I learned so much that way. I think it’s a big part of who I am today.”
Alex Turanski, ‘09, has become increasingly clear about a couple of things. First, remembering to live in the present is an ongoing practice that he feels benefits his life in so many ways. “I try to let the moments happen. Spending time worrying about expectations can get in the way of creativity. The more present I am, the happier I am.” He acknowledges that living in the present is something that takes work. “We live in a world full of distractions, it’s almost impossible to stay in any given moment, but it’s a skill worth trying to get right. Perseverance is a goal of mine.”
So what’s on the horizon for Alex? “It’s a challenge to take your art and form it into a business.” He is comforted by the success of people like ephemeral artist Andy Goldsworthy and Gravity Glue artist Michael Grab. “The Gravity Glue guy posted a picture of himself doing a show in China, which is cool to know that he’s going around the world making art. I’d like to be able to do shows all over the world and collect the rocks from that area: like go to Sicily, collect rocks from the beach there, and then take pictures of that show and then have that be an album. My main goal would be to travel and share this artform.”
This past December, Alex graciously came back to The Bay School to volunteer with Betsy Lieser, Marketing Director at The Bay School, to help produce a short film for the Bay School community celebrating the Solstice. (See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLElqEH1K2I) “Alex was a joy to work with,” says Betsy, “I admire his art and we really appreciate that he was willing to share his creativity with us!”
For now, Alex is in the process of organizing workshops for people interested in the benefits of learning how to use rock stacking as a form of meditation. Rock stacking kits are also available to purchase with an image of the rocks already stacked so that people can see how the rocks are meant to be put together. Alex is also available as a guide. Both Deer Isle-Stonington and Mount View Elementary Schools have bought rock stacks for their students, and he has other schools interested in them as well. “It can help kids with ADHD and anxiety. After you stack, you’re more present, therefore you’re more focused. It has helped me in all these ways. I’ve noticed that I’m more capable after practicing with rock stacks.”
So far, rock stacking hasn’t quite paid the bills. To supplement, Alex has spent a fair amount of time as a sternman on a few lobster boats. While on one such boat, the Matt and Pat, Alex had a spark of another idea. He began making macrame lobster rope installations made from recycled lobster lines. “Lobster rope gets thrown away every two seasons, and it’s perfectly strong rope that can’t quite lift heavy traps but still has a lot of life left in it. When I pull the recycled rope through itself, weaving it together, all the old algae break off and the rope is soft. New rope can be itchy or can even cut you. But this is so soft and stretchy, and it actually has a really nice texture to lie down in and crawl around on. I search for three or four trees out in the woods, and I build a hammock-like structure there. It’s a special process. It connects me with nature in a way that I appreciate.” Alex began making these colorful permanent forest installations for sale this past year. He has since been commissioned to build these structures for people to use in their wooded yards.
For more information about upcoming workshops, purchasing rock stack kits, and commissioning Lobster Rope Macrame, visit www.alexanderturanski.com
It’s no surprise that his life has turned toward the magic of creating ephemeral art. An added bonus, he believes, is that it has forced him to live in the present. Clearing his head and staying in the moment is when the magic happens for Alex. “Having a successful meditative practice comes when you’re feeling balanced. You know you’re balancing your mind when you’re not thinking about the past or the future. If you’re thinking about the future, that kind of ruins the present moment. If the rocks fall, they fall. You learn from your mistakes.”
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Winslow2003Brokaw
I live in Ketchum, Idaho, near my parents, Kerry and Bags, and run my own creative tutoring business. I am grateful every day for my Waldorf education as I rely on my Waldorf skills and a ‘head, heart, and hands’ education to tutor children and youth. I also have launched a weekly fairy-mail delivery business for children and furry friends. The letters are gentle and positive and encourage self-worth, creativity, compassion, fun, play, magic, and joy. This idea was inspired by my passion for writing the fairies during my early Bay School years. My Bay School classmates remain some of my favorite people on earth, and I’d love a kickball reunion with Mrs. C!
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Coral2007O’Brian
Sotherd2008Steer
Coral is currently pursuing her PhD in environmental anthropology through Universität Hamburg and the interdisciplinary climate project “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CLICCS). Her dissertation research is taking place in Flagstaff, Arizona, where she is developing relationships with Diné and Hopi peoples, foresters, wildland firefighters, hunters, loggers, and U.S. Forest Service employees to further conceptualize forest and climate futures. Her experience at The Bay School, guided primarily by Judith and Ian Chittenden, instilled within her a deep curiosity and reverence for the natural world and the ongoing question of how humans can be in right relationship with Earth. She is forever grateful to The Bay School for her love of learning and the creative process. In her free time she enjoys long desert rock climbs, and views climbing and how it brings her in touch with self-trust and risk-management as another great source of medicine.
This past October, on my train commute to work, I was scrolling online and was immediately overcome with jealousy and nostalgia seeing photos of Apple Fest celebrations. I think back to my experiences at The Bay School, and I am so thankful. I have an enormous amount of appreciation for my teachers, especially as I am now a teacher myself. Having graduated from the Bay School in ‘08 and George Stevens in ‘12, I relocated my junior year of college to complete my undergraduate degree at the American University of Paris in Paris, France. I later met my [now] French fiancé. After college, I went back to school to pursue my master’s in special education and I’m working at the American School of Paris as a Middle School teacher to support students with learning differences. I’m also a Grade 8 advisor, and I regularly think back to my 8th Grade year with Ian Chittenden. I’ve told my students stories of my time at the Bay School, and I recall specific lessons to this day. The Bay School community is so special, and I particularly would like to send love to Judy Chittenden (my Grade 2-5 teacher) and Ian Chittenden (Grades 6-8).
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