The Bay School
Summer 2018
The gift of attending Haystack extends into my teaching as well. Growing in my own learning and experience comes into my work as a teacher. Art and craft are integral to our work at The Bay School, alongside a true love of learning. Haystack embodies a love of learning, a dedication to the work at hand, and it celebrates working as a community. We are sister schools in many respects. I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me through the Haystack scholarship.
Haystack Scholarships benefit Bay School Faculty
--Kristy Cunnane, Classroom Teacher Grades 4 & 5
For the past two summers, a generous donor to Haystack Mountain School of Crafts has provided a scholarship for a Bay School Faculty Member. As stated in Haystack’s mission, “People come to Haystack to develop and discover skills, to nurture their creativity, to ask questions, to reassess their work, and to push into the unknown...the focused energy of the school community, provides an environment that supports a serious exploration of craft, ideas and imagination.” What an amazing opportunity for our faculty! Below are images and reflections from our two faculty members who benefitted from this scholarship the past two years. If you are interested in learning more about Haystack or participating in their programs, visit www.haystack-mtn.org
Ian Chittenden’s badminton stands made from steamed white oak Here at Haystack, amidst swaying spruces and overlooking the patient ocean, boardwalks hover. The artists, makers, and seekers who come here are evocatively suspended, and traverse and reside for a rarified time on diverse creative paths. Workshops are connected by these corridors, and inside one I gathered with thirteen other woodworkers for two ecstatic weeks last summer. A grant from a generous Haystack donor made it possible for a Bay School teacher to attend, and I was grateful to be the 2017 recipient.
Kristy Cunnane’s book and printmaking work table Two summers ago, I was offered a full scholarship to attend a two week session at Haystack. I chose a Letterpress and Artist Book workshop carried by Erin Sweeney. This scholarship allowed me to stay at Haystack, which made the experience full and rich. In my non-teaching hours, I work as a professional artist, and the full immersion of studio time allowed for incredible growth in my art. Working beside and with a group of other artists offered inspiration and new connections. The scholarship was a gift that profoundly affected my art work and pushed me to renew my lifelong love of printmaking.
Our focus was wood. We worked to think beyond the straight edge and corner as elements of design, instead imagining into the wood deep curve and bold sweep. A primary activity was steam bending. To infuse steam into wood, particularly white oak and ash, is to turn a snappy thin ripping into a malleable material, suitable for many projects. What a joy to think with wood in new ways! Of all I hold dear from our lively days together, I am most inspired by this: the gift of being shown, in a familiar medium, radical new possibility. As a teacher, to enact this kind of awakening for my students remains a principal endeavor, invigorated by those glorious days at Haystack. -Ian Chittenden, Classroom Teacher Grades 6 & 7
both my language and dance learnings
It was my first night in Havana.
were put to the test in various salsa ven-
I had just arrived to begin two
ues, featuring live orchestras and a caliber
weeks of professional develop-
of dancing that far surpassed anything
ment to prepare myself to serve
I had previously witnessed. Even more
as our school’s Spanish teach-
striking than the skill of the dancers,
er. My hope was to refresh my
however, was the sense of joyful self-ex-
language skills and rekindle my
pression and community celebration that
connection with Latin music
pervaded those spaces.
and dance. After dropping off my suitcase, I set out to get
I came home from the trip deeply im-
to know the neighborhood. I
pressed with the resilience and generos-
hadn’t gone far when the sound of drumming and singing made me look up. Above a cascade of bougainvillea, a
ity of the Cuban people I had met. The
row of tall, open windows revealed a room full of people dressed all in white. A woman leaned over the balco-
perspectives they shared — both on the
ny and beckoned me to come up. I climbed the crumbling marble staircase and found myself in the midst of a
history and present of their country and
celebration of Santería, a Cuban religion that combines elements of Christianity with traditional West African
ours, as well as on climate change, racism,
Orisha wisdom. As the sky turned gold behind the line of drummers, the eldest woman sang out in Yoruban
imperialism, and other key global issues of
and a room full of voices swelled in response. Women ranging in age from toddlers to the oldest great-grand-
our times — were powerfully illuminating.
mothers danced together as they sang,
Meanwhile, I reawakened my fluency with
pairing specific steps with specific songs
the Spanish language and finally learned
to honor each Orisha. That night, I
how to lead in salsa dancing.
received my first lesson in Cuban dance
My gracious hostess, Zelda Pérez Gonzales
from the women assembled there.
Back at the Bay School, I have loved bringing my experiences in Cuba into my work with the students. Not only
Throughout the next two weeks, I con-
did the trip enliven my teaching of the language itself, it has given rise to greater explorations of culture, music,
tinued to marvel at the kindness and
and dance. From indigenous Cuban folk
warmth of the people I met. I stayed in
tales shared in the lower grades, to the
the heart of the city, in a neighborhood
4/5th Grade’s “Tin Can Jam” Nowell offer-
called Vedado, with a woman who treat-
ing based on Cuban percussion rhythms, to
ed me like family, serving up tales of the
the school’s first ever Salsa Night (showcas-
Cuba of her childhood alongside daunt-
ing the upper grades dancing salsa), what
ing portions of boiled yucca. Mornings
I learned in Cuba continues to resound
were dedicated to an intensive language
throughout our school’s classrooms.
immersion class. Afternoons began with
- Meg Chittenden, Spanish and Music Teacher
salsa lessons followed by instruction in traditional Cuban percussion. At night, Learning to lead salsa dancing
Singing in the park in Havana Vieja
Early Childhood Programs Burst into Spring If you are looking for our Director on any given Thursday at 10:30 a.m., don’t look in her office. She won’t be there. Marcia Diamond, two years into the job as Director of the Bay School, has found a weekly routine and she is not letting go of it anytime soon. Every Thursday, she can be found in North Cottage, home to the now burgeoning Early Childhood Program. There, you will find her seated among children ages 3-6 years old, around a table perfectly suited to their little frames, with bowls of warm rice in front of them. Conversation is tossed around organically and children use this time to take turns telling stories and to practice the art of listening to one another. Ms. Diamond listens intently and while sometimes she has a story to share, she always helps them practice their story telling, their patience, and their relationships.
PreK–Kindergarten Program Ages 3–6 (3–5 days a week) The teachers model a reverence and joy of life, enthusiasm for their daily work, warmth for the children, and compassion for each other. Young children thrive in a mixed age atmosphere, which allows the children to develop ongoing nurturing relationships with their teachers over several years. The PreK and Kindergarten program is offered from September to June closely following the grade school calendar.
Forest Friday An Outdoor Program for Ages 4 1/2 to 7 Climbing, singing, storytelling, nutritious snacks, and the freedom to romp and explore outside best describe the newest program, Forest Friday. This wonderful nature experience utilizes a new outdoor classroom built in summer 2017. The outdoor classroom enriches the PreK and Kindergarten program with outdoor creative play, during which time the children are engaged in daily work such as gardening, food preparation, and fort building. The children learn to solve problems, share, take turns, and help one another. The Forest Friday program is offered as part of the Early Childhood Program during the school calendar year.
“It’s amazing how well the teachers model respectful behavior during these moments. It’s not often there are six children in a room sitting around a table showing such reverence for their teachers and for each other,” says Ms. Diamond, recalling her weekly time with the children. Morning snack and storytelling are certainly an important part of life in North Cottage these days. In addition, the Early Childhood Program is bursting with new and exciting programs led by our Early Childhood faculty. Each program honors the unique and profound growth of the young child during the first seven years of life. When children are given a warm and nurturing environment, loving caregivers, and ample time for self-initiated play, the seeds of creativity, social awareness, resilience, and flexibility are sown. Our veteran teachers firmly believe that this environment provides a strong foundation for deeper learning, as these same children grow and prepare for the academic challenges of the grade school years and beyond.
Morning Garden
A Parent Child Program for Ages 18 mos.—3 ½ Morning Garden offers a warm, homelike environment, humming with purposeful activity. Lead teacher Margot Entwisle guides young children and their parents in a morning rhythm that includes bread making, gathering for song and movement, free play, snack, and listening to a puppet story, before going outside to play. Her program is so well attended at The Bay School that she has added another session for families in the Ellsworth area. Morning Garden is offered as an eight week session three times during the school year, and one four week session in the summer. “In Morning Garden, I gather with families to share in the joys, challenges and wonders of our littlest ones. I offer parents the opportunity to experience spaciousness in the midst of the fullness of their lives. In this held space, there is the opportunity to be attuned to the being of each child. We observe how children interact with their environment— be it snuggling in a parent’s lap, dreamily kneading bread dough, or venturing off, immersed in play. During our mornings together, I invite parents to pour a cup of tea, find a comfortable place to sit, and to engage in purposeful work, such as polishing apples for our snack or making butter for our bread, while their children explore. I ask parents to work quietly, humming a tune if they wish, ever mindful of their inner and outer gesture. When children observe their parents modeling purposeful work with care and attention, they take this in deeply. They are then free to enter fully into their work, which is their play. I love offering parents this opportunity to step back, to consciously create time and space to pause, to relax, and to behold their child’s emerging individuality.”
- Margot Entwisle, Early Chilhood Faculty and Lead Teacher for Morning Garden
“...the children feel they belong there right alongside nature and each other.” -Kasha Haggarty, Lead Teacher Early Childhood
When asked about how the Outdoor Classroom and Forest Friday complement the Early Childhood Program in relationship with early childhood development, Kasha Haggarty, lead teacher, explains it this way: “The children, when they’re outside, are really in their element. The children that struggle with boundaries tend to not have any problems outside at all. One of our children says that this is the
“best day ever”, when we are out in the woods. Being out in nature, in all of the elements, brings joy, brings peace and calm, and it naturally relieves anxiety children have. The physical movement they are afforded by being outside during the different seasons is really important for the development of their brains – climbing trees, walking on the ice and slipping around, having to find your balance, hanging upside down, getting wet, splashing and feeling mud, seeing firsthand the details in the changes that occur with the seasons: their favorite tree, all the leaves falling off in the fall, the icicles in the winter, followed by buds, and then bursting green leaves. It becomes their place. The children feel they belong there right alongside nature and each other.”
When asked how she and Margot Entwisle, the other veteran faculty member in the Early Childhood program, know when their programs are working, she offered this: “We use the rhythm of our day to try to create a flow and we are looking for that ‘hum’. That hum of creative play, that hum of work, that hum of happiness, and so we do know that we’ve put it together right when we can just stop and everything is just happening around us in this beautiful way and sometimes it’s a little bit loud but it’s like being in a machine that’s just chugging along – nobody needs our help – and I think that’s when we know that we’ve got it and that we’re doing the right thing as teachers.” The Bay School Early Childhood Program and its teachers have found a rhythm that serves children and their families in a beautiful way. Like Director Marcia Diamond and her time down in North Cottage, no one is letting go of their routine anytime soon.
Walk, Run, Explore! In January of 2016, The Bay School had the opportunity to purchase 39 acres from our neighbors, Blake and June Esselstyn.
There was so much natural beauty — high land with giant trees and forest, low land with wet areas for ferns, frogs and salamanders, lush green mosses and lichens, and some great granite boulders. Thus a group was formed of faculty, board members and the cross-country coach to consider the question, “should we make the purchase?”. That is when the decision was made to buy the land and build a trail that looped off our existing trail. Then the Bay School community could have further opportunity to walk, run, explore, and study nature on our new land. Caleb Jackson, an expert trail builder from Maine Coast Heritage Trust, volunteered to help us map out and build the trail. We went out tromping around to determine the best route during the winter, spring and summer of 2017 to see the land in different seasons. The trail building work began in earnest during the autumn of 2017. The rough clearing with chainsaws started in early November with parents, faculty, and friends. Next, Caleb and I worked with the 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes teaching them about trail building techniques, including grade reversal, flat end rake pulling, and soil stretching. They also learned that the current 1-mile loop trail was built in 2004, before many of them were born and that this new trail will be there for folks to enjoy for many more years. When 40 eight-foot pieces of local white cedar were delivered to the leafy glade, the 6th, 7th and 8th graders carried them out to the site where bog bridging will be built over the wet areas. During their Agricultural Arts and Movement classes, they did trail clearing work. They should be so proud of their hard work. The next two work sessions involved more technical work building 80 feet of bog bridging with faculty, board members, parents, and students under the able guidance of Caleb. As we finished the last round of bog bridge work and neatly set aside the unused cedar, the first snow began to fall. This signaled that winter was knocking at our door, and it was time to let the final work rest until spring. This new trail building project has been a wonderful school community effort, and we are grateful for the many hands that have helped so far. It is one third of a mile long, well marked with orange ribbons and easy to follow. There remains a 30-foot section of bog bridge to build and a little more clearing to be done this spring. Watch for work party announcements in the Tuesday Notice. In the meantime, go on out to the “Back 40” via the old trail and explore the wonder of the new trail. -Merrie Eley, Forest Friday Teaching Assistant
Behind the Scenes: Celebrating the Path to The Bay School’s New Logo
Years ago, when The Bay School opened its doors to welcome the first students into the schoolroom at Mary Rousseau’s home in Blue Hill, it would have been hard to imagine what it has become today. Some 35 years later, we have grown into a vibrant, deeply rooted community. So many hands, hearts, and minds have contributed to this growth, stewarding The Bay School through many seasons and transformations along the way. This autumn, the faculty and board determined it was time to develop a missing piece, a logo that more fully reflects the thriving, mature school we are. But how could we capture this sense of history, place, present, and future in a single logo? How do we take something that means so much to so many of us and attempt to distill all that into an image? The answer? Very carefully. A core team of faculty and administration worked for six months to shepherd the process. Those with the longest, deepest and most intimate relationship with the institution — our faculty — provided the initial input and suggestions. We worked to summon an image that would feel inviting, connecting, and open to possibilities. Hearty, like we are, but also reflective and natural. It would need to welcome our youngest into the fold while also ushering our graduates out into the world. Coming up with such a logo isn’t easy. After pouring over initial designs, the full faculty and administrative staff provided guidance to the design team. This team carefully listened to comments, took notes, and went back to work. What first seemed like muddy trails eventually became clear paths that led us to this collective place of certainty. And now presenting….….The New Logo!
The success of the projects in the past 25 years has relied on several points. First, the relationship and work with the mentor. Second, the support, ecouragement and drive of parents. Third, the capacities developed, gradually, in each grade of speech, confidence, performance on stage, the careful sustained study of one topic and the value given to collective work. And fourth, the anticipation of their schoolmates. Every year, the Eighth Grade prepares a Main Lesson feast for us all. They are a gift to the community.
Matthew Coolidge Trail Building Mentor: Dave Seward
I will be learning about the establishment of National and local trails. I will be building trails of my own. I will also be learning about several types of trails – scenic, boardwalks, bush, and mountain.
The Bay School image is hand-carved by long-time teacher Kristy Cunnane, a labor of deep imagination, technical skill, and a felt-sense of this place and the school’s vital role in our community. The movement of air and light across the landscape, the reflective water, are alive and authentic, evoking the evolving and meaningful relationships we work to cultivate with this place and between one another. We are a school firmly rooted in our geography, carrying a curriculum both sweeping in its scope and responsive to where we are, living in the presence of what has been and all that is still to come, watched over by a small misty mountain that has stood through it all. Thank you, Kristy, for the innumerable hours you spent listening for our collective vision of the school and using your artistic alchemy to transform it into one elegant image. It is the logo of our dreams!
Clementine Bannon Midwifery
Mentors: Suzanne Norgang & Holly Murphy My project explores the lost and found art of Midwifery. From the beginning of time, women have helped one another give birth. Through birthing stories and working with local midwives, I hope to discover more about this natural and nurturing process.
Ben Muise Competitive Archery
Mentor: Dan Sanborn My project explores the basics of a traditional and compound bow as well as the rules of competition. This program is called the Junior Olympic Archery development program. I am also going to learn about traditional bow making.
Noah Czuj Investing in the Stock Market
Mentor: Mike Laskowski I want to understand the workings of the Stock Market, mostly by seeing what it is like to make investment decisions on a set of stocks I pick over my project’s timeline. In addition to that handson work, I will be reporting on how the stock market itself works, its history, and how it affects society — both good and bad.
Lucena Day Exploring Expressive Movement
Mentor: Elizabeth Jezorski I was fortunate to explore different forms of expressive movement with several mentors. Eryn Klemenz taught me Afro-Brazilian dance, Elizabeth Jezorski introduced me to many aspects of movement, with a focus on Authentic Movement. My grandmother, Olivia Cheever, shared her work in Feldenkrais, and Rebecca Rose Tousignant guided me in the practice of yoga. I also hope to add Eurythmy to my movement experiences.
Phebe O’Connor Nature Study
Mentor: Merrie Eley I have always loved spending time in nature, so for my eighth grade project I am doing a Nature Study. I will be deepening my knowledge through journaling, identification skills, and attending guided walks through the woods. I will also touch on educating children about nature through puppet shows and Forest Kindergarten.
Luna Perry-St. Peter Fencing
Millicent Fleming Stop Motion Animation
Mentor: Shelley Latham This project will take me on an adventure through the different aspects of stop action film. Creating a storyline, casting characters, designing sets, filming, and adding a soundtrack requires a lot of attention to detail. Carefully taking the indvidual pictures is a test of patience, but seeing them together as a finished film is rewarding.
Mentor: John Krauss My 8th grade project explores the sport of fencing. I am learning about the different styles, techniques, and also about the history of fencing. I have directed my hands-on learning toward a weapon called Saber.
BAY SCHOOL
ALUMNI
CLASS NOTES
Bella Salman Horse and Carriage Driving
Mentor: Kari Gray For my 8th grade project, I have chosen to explore horse and carriage driving. Driving horses is, in a nutshell, the art of guiding one or more horses while simultaneously conducting them to allow the safe and smooth passage of a large bulky vehicle that happens to be attached to their harness. This project definitely poses challenges, but it also has its share of fun!!
heart of Bangkok. Noah’s class has 33 students, and he has a great teaching assistant from the Philippines, Zusara. While he always tries to bring many Bay School values to his classroom, it can be quite a challenge with such a large class. And no, unfortunately, he has not had an opportunity to knit any hats (sorry Kathy Burnett). Since arriving in Thailand, Noah has acquired his Master’s degree in education from Framingham State University.
1997
Marisol Trowbridge “I am living in Seattle, where I have been since 2014. I work for Nordstrom as Chief of Staff to the President of the Private Label Group, and I just bought a home out here. It’s far away Marisol Trowbridge ’97 from Maine but has some important things in common like water, a beautiful outdoors, and lots of creative people.”
Noah Milliken ’03
2001
Chloe Urban My husband, Neil Sattin, and I were married last summer at David’s Folly Farm. My two step kids, Dash (11) and Zella (9) both attend Maine Coast Waldorf School here in Freeport. We currently live and work in Portland. copyright image Sarah Morrill Photography
Francis Spangler Photography
Mentor: Maria Matthews
The main focus of my project has been on photographing cityscapes — whole building, skylines, and architectural features using composition, cropping, and filtering. This project combines two things I love: exploring cities and photography. Chloe Urban ’01 & Castine Dow ’01
2003 Noah Milliken has just finished his fourth year of teaching 1st grade in Bangkok, Thailand. His school is a very large (5000 students) all boys school in the
Mini Bay School airport reunion December 2017 Left to Right: Caroline Altman ’06, Kelly Cutler ’05, doggo, Forest Barkdoll-Weil ’08
2005 Kelly Fallow Cutler writes from NYC where she moved four years ago to study comedy and then began training in Krav Maga (Israeli close quarters fighting system and self defense). “I’m now a Krav
Maga instructor and have begun to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), as well. I am grateful to have competed in my first BJJ tournament for the first time and brought home two gold medals! I also teach Hebrew and religious studies at a lovely synagogue in Manhattan and travel whenever an opportunity to explore presents itself!” You can follow Kelly’s story on Instagram at @kravmachine
2008 River Plouffe-Vogel has been hired as Director of Nichol’s Day Camp in Blue Hill. River recently graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Social Work. River says he looks forward to working in the community and getting involved every way he can. He likes to spend his time staying active and hanging out with his dog Dory!
Claire Russell ’09 in Bulgaria
2009
Claire Russell graduated from Eckerd College in May of 2017 and is now living and teaching in Bulgaria on a Fulbright grant. Her small town is located just south of the Romanian border called Razgrad (Разград). She writes, “It’s quite an adventure but so fun! I get to travel a lot with my fellow Fulbrighters (who teach in different cities and towns throughout Bulgaria) and am learning Bulgarian folk dancing, participating in the running club here (my Bay School cross country days are back!) I also help out in the community with different English-centered or cultural events, and sometimes I get to help with younger kids, which is so fun! I love the Bay School so much and am so glad the Russell tradition continues with Miss Jing, Class of 2020.
River Plouffe-Vogel, ’08
GSA Salutatorian Maira Vandiver ’14
Isabel Lieser ’15 as Fallstaff
2014 Maira Vandiver, and GSA Class of 2018 Salutatorian, will be attending Guilford College to study both Theater and Community & Justice Studies. While at GSA she was a member of Planet Pan, Drama Club, and the Gender Sexuality Alliance. She won State All Cast Award and the University of Rochester Book Award. She also taught Rhythm Rockets and Improv Youth Theater.
2015 Isabel Lieser enjoyed her junior year at Kent School in Kent, Connecticut where she was seen on stage, in the round, as Shakespeare’s most famous clown, Falstaff in Henry IV, Part I. She was back on the Blue Hill Peninsula during her March break and for the 3rd consecutive year, she joined her 8th Grade Projects mentor Moira McMahon and the GSA Tech Crew for the One Acts Competition.
Sophie Ragot ’13 returning her basketball jersey to The Bay School Athletic Director, Bob Slayton
2013
Claire Russell ’09 and mom Mary Pat Champeau (The Bay School Board Vice-Chair) at the Women’s March in 2017
Sophie Ragot has just finished up her gap year at University of Salamanca in Spain and will be attending Goucher College in Maryland this fall. Before she leaves, she thought she would return her Bay School basketball jersey to Bay School Athletic Director, Bob Slayton. Thank you, Sophie.
Hattie Slayton spent this past year studying in Spain with SYA - School Year Abroad. The Slayton /Sargent family has managed to join Hattie during her breaks. Mom, Annie Sargent and brother Beckett Slayton ’13, joined Hattie in Zaragoza, Spain, in December. And Dad, Bob Slayton, joined her in Spain and traveled to Paris, London, and Amsterdam this spring. Hattie will return to George Stevens Academy as a Senior in the fall.
Hattie Slayton ’15 with her father, Bob Slayton
We want to hear from you! Send us your news! Recently Married? New Job? New Baby? New Pet? Just returned from an adventure? Memories you would like to share of your time at the Bay School? Please send updates to alumninews@bayschool.org. Send in a picture (or not!) and let us know what you are doing!
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