Brunswick Trust Newsletter, Winter 2024 by Brunswick School

The Brunswick Trust Brunswick Trust Report – Winter 2024

The Brunswick Trust aims to develop an “appreciation of one’s responsibility to contribute to the greater good for all.” Boys in all Brunswick divisions have passed these winter months in discussions and activities intended to build a lasting sense of purpose. We have debated the true nature of teamwork and responded to the immediate needs of our local community. We have challenged our perspectives and been challenged to explore our passions and interests. We have worked to finetune how we care for ourselves so that we can better care for others. As always, Brunswick boys and their teachers strive to use the vocabulary and practice of The Brunswick Trust to build a community that takes care of us all.

Character & Leadership

Nine years ago , Daniel James Brown’s Boys in the Boat served as the first-ever Brunswick Trust summer read. It’s a thrilling, heroic story about the rise of an underdog University of Washington crew team during the Depression — and their unlikely victory in Hitler’s 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Now that the book has been made into a movie, a whole new set of boys has had a chance to learn about the feats of these eight men and their coxswain.

Upper Schoolers gathered in Baker Theater on Feb. 29 to view the film; they later met in advisories to consider some questions offered by Brunswick Trust Coordinator Kate Duennebier.

Among the queries that helped get the boys thinking:

•What do you think is so appealing about the assembly, rise, and victory of this eight-man crew?

•Do you think the film does a good job of situating us in the Depression era as well as building the importance of Olympic gold in ’36?

•How do you see the role of families playing out — do you think Rantz was as successful as he was simply because he needed this brotherhood?

•There is no masking the analogy of this underdog team from the University of Washington representing the underdog nation of the USA. Do you think the parallel is stretched for dramatic purposes, or is it deserved?

HEALTH & WELLNESS CHARACTER & LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING SERVICE & SUSTAINABILITY NEWSLETTER

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Middle School boys revisited the Character Continuum through a special Trust Time activity on self control in January.

Trust Time is a mainstay on the Lower School calendar; Kate Duennebier brought a version of it to the Middle School in January by bringing a lesson drawn from the Continuum to every 5th grade classroom.

Boys learned about the famous 1970 Stanford University marshmallow experiment, which challenges young children to exercise some self control around a very tempting marshmallow. They also watched a video of a Golden Retriever as it became hopelessly distracted in a race, illustrating distractibility.

Duennebier asked boys to think for a minute about their own biggest distractors/temptations, in class, at home, when you’re reading, when you’re at church/synagogue, when someone is giving you directions. She encouraged boys to think of self control as a muscle that gets stronger with practice, and offered specific strategies for improvement.

Some Middle School boys had the chance to drill down on the real meaning of the word resolute as a way to provide a fresh perspective for reflections on the midpoint comments that went home Jan. 19.

“We looked at the idea of New Year’s Resolutions (and how they’re notoriously abandoned) and the definition of resolute as, quite literally, the opposite,” Duennebier said. “Then it was a way for kids to digest the feedback from their teachers into goals they have for the remainder of the second term. It was a small activity, not completed by all advisories, but it was made available to anyone who wanted.”

Duennebier said because they are often so capricious, New Year’s resolutions actually provide a useful way to re-frame goal setting.

“The problem is that New Year’s resolutions, notoriously, are empty, lofty, and unfulfilled!”

About 20 juniors made the trek up to the Vermont Campus in Randolph, Vt., in mid-January to train for the leadership roles they will shoulder in senior year. The juniors are training to help lead sophomore Vermont trips — the seminal experience that sees 10th-grade boys unplugged, outside, and working together.

Among other activities, Vermont leaders-in-training often tackle ice climbing, a unique and powerful venue for leadership development.

Duennebier instead asked boys to consider the actual meaning of the word resolute: “admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.” After reviewing their 2nd trimester midpoint comments and before meeting with their advisors, boys were asked to fill in the sentence “I am resolute in my effort to” and to anticipate their biggest obstacle and name one strategy to overcome that obstacle.”

“We had winter weather this year and were able to ice climb (it was canceled in 2023),” said Danny Dychkowski, director of the Vermont campus. “This trip is the only one on which we go ice climbing. The activity is a home run because it is novel — everyone is a beginner and it is generally unpredictable as to who will thrive. It is always a nice surprise to witness a boy come to the realization they have an unknown skill.”

A planned Big Hike experience also had to be altered because of trail conditions, though the cohort managed to tackle some mileage despite exceptionally frigid temperatures.

“The big hike was COLD!” Dychkowski exclaimed. “Five miles in and out in single digits. Boys learned how to manage their temperatures and how to protect their extremities. Winter activities require a heightened sense of awareness and intentionality — and these skills are perfectly transferable to their lives back home.”

In related news, this will be Dychkowski’s last year in Vermont. Next year, the campus will be directed by Oliver Bierman-Lytle,

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Upper School science teacher, as Dychkowski heads back to Greenwich for a role at the Middle School.

Bierman-Lytle helped lead the January trip, so he is wellprepared for welcoming them back next year.

“It was nice for him to be able to work with the juniors who will become his leaders next year,” Dychkowski said.

Lower School ambassadors kicked off the new year with a visit to homerooms on Jan. 11. Boys introduced this year’s Student Council, discussed the school-wide theme Words Matter, participated in a “grab bag” activity to get everyone thinking about how words can help remedy many situations, and finally, wrote down words or phrases that could be used to help ‘pick someone up’ or boost their mood.

On Jan. 25, ambassadors visited homerooms and ran a talk about recycling in the classroom. After their presentation, each homeroom received a large sign for their recycling bin as well as a laminated copy of the recycling rules for Greenwich.

The third visit, Giving Back and Giving Thanks, saw ambassadors help organize the community for the Souper Bowl

canned food drive and also the Valentines for Vets program that saw boys create heartfelt cards thanking area veterans for their service.

In all, 23 fourth graders served as ambassadors this year, visiting the classrooms of their younger schoolmates to deliver news, run activities, and speak the language of The Brunswick Trust.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Middle and Upper School students marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day with special assemblies, music, and advisory discussions — and a distinctive visit by a woman who was present when King delivered his legendary speech, I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.

Renee Alexander, Ph.D., associate dean of students and director of intercultural programs at Cornell University, told boys she was 10 years old when she attended the speech on April 3, 1968 — the day King delivered his famous oration at the Mason Temple in Memphis, Tennessee.

King died the next day after being fatally shot at his hotel.

“She didn’t want to go!” said Alecia Thomas, director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. “She said that speech changed her life.”

Alexander hosted a “fireside chat” style assembly with Upper Schoolers in Baker Theater. She discussed her work with the Breaking Bread initiative at Cornell, which brings together people of diverse backgrounds for “courageous, harmonious conversations.”

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The assembly was led by the Upper School Diversity in Action club; the theme was Moving From What Paralyzes to What Harmonizes. DIA leaders discussed how King’s emphasis on nonviolent resistance was influenced by Mahatma Ghandi. The event also featured a stirring rendition of Lift Every Voice by Tori Lloyd, a Connecticut-based R&B singer known as Yahni.

Younger students also enjoyed a visit from Dr. Alexander in an assembly led by the Middle School DIA club. After the talk, boys headed back to advisory to complete a “perspective taking” activity. Boys in 5th and 6th grades viewed photos of various objects up close and from a distance to show how perspective matters a lot; they also discussed how there is often no right or wrong answer, just a difference in perspective.

Students in 7th and 8th grade advisories continued their study of empathy, and in particular the practice of ‘perspective taking.’ They watched a video of a made up word, ‘sonder,’ which is the realization that “each person has a life as vivid and complex as our own” and this is why sometimes people can see the exact same thing differently.

A Feb. 8 Upper School assembly to mark Black History Month saw students view a clip of the 1988 film Stand and Deliver before returning to advisory to reflect on questions raised. The film portrays the true story of Los Angeles mathematics teacher Jaime Escalente and his successful effort to teach AP Calculus to disadvantaged students. DIA leaders, who led the assembly, asked classmates to consider the film in light of messages raised in January around Martin Luther King Jr. Day events, and think about how challenge can end up producing exceptional rewards.

For the second year, Pre School students are celebrating Black History Month thanks to the efforts of head PreK teacher Dani Clarke and her colleague Deb Schwartz.

“This year, we were just as excited to take it on,” Clarke said. “Each of our six classes has learned about a different historical figure from Black history. Then, they present what they have learned to all peers in Friday assembly.”

So far, boys have researched Ruby Bridges, Oprah Winfrey, Catherine Johnson, Barack Obama, Booker T. Washington, and Serena Williams. Each week, the bulletin board in the PreK lobby showcases the boys’ work.

Clarke said the project is run a little differently in each class; her students start by reading a lot of books and learning what each of these people had to overcome. Often, boys are able to connect their stories to aspects of their own lives — Ruby Bridges and her struggle to attend school provides one particularly meaningful jumping off point.

“Her story is pivotal for boys,” Clarke said. “Every boy wants to go to school. These boys understand what a wonderful school Brunswick is. They see that kids can do important things, too.”

“It’s really empowering for them,” she said.

The MLK Day holiday serves as a launch pad for PreK study of Black History Month; Alecia Thomas visited the school to talk to boys about how one man’s message was so powerful it continues to inspire people today.

“We want to continue inspiring people for generations to come,” Clarke said. “(MLK Day) really creates a great foundation to talk about each of these individuals.”

Six Upper Schoolers and three faculty members traveled to St. Louis, Mo., in late November for the 2023 Student Diversity Leadership Conference organized by the National Association of Independent Schools.

For more than 25 years, the conference has attracted thousands of students from independent schools around the country to a

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four-day gathering featuring speakers and large and small-group sessions aimed at building community and allyship, developing cross-cultural communication skills, and more. The theme of the 2023 conference was Bending the Arc Toward Justice: Radical Optimism, Transformational Joy, Resilience, and Brilliance. Students attending the conference were Connor Jones ’25, Luke James ’24, Izaiah Smith ’25, Andrew Rodriguez ’24, Gabriel Lopez ’24, and Tyler Lloyd ’25. Faculty on the trip included Alecia Thomas, director of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, Jay Crosby, Middle School history, and Jourdon Delerme-Brown, Upper School teaching fellow.

“It was a packed conference,” said Thomas. “There were students from all over. It was an amazing, life-changing

Health & Wellness

ANew York Times best-selling author and professor of marketing and psychology visited Brunswick to speak with parents and Upper and Middle School students around the topic of screen use and how to get “unstuck” from technology and in life more broadly.

Adam Alter spoke to parents in an evening assembly on January 30 in Baker Theater; he spoke to students in similar visits the next day. His presentation was based on his book, Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most, with a focus on getting “unstuck” through “exploration” and “exploitation.”

“We can’t seem to remove ourselves from screens,” Alter told parents. “When it comes to social media, everything is bottomless. The bottomlessness of the feeds we experience is in the service of engagement over time on the device.

“This is why we’re mired,” he said. “We just don’t have the time anymore. Much of it goes here — to screens.”

experience for the boys. It makes them appreciate Brunswick; they are living in a community that is diverse, that speaks to their needs, and takes care of their whole person.”

Jackson, who both spent years exploring different interests in their fields before landing on one to “exploit.”

“Feeling stuck is a universal feeling and part of life,” said Marcie Molloy, director of health and wellness. “However, getting unstuck is essential to success and well-being. Learning how to recognize when one is stuck and how to get unstuck are skills that everyone needs to develop.”

“Students may think that there is little time for exploration during their primary school education,” she said. “However, part of school is forced exploration through required subjects and classes, and through required activities in the arts, music, and sports. Through this ‘forced’ exploration, we expose students to a variety of topics and encourage students to pay attention to the topics that interest them. My favorite activity is for students to flip through the entire weekend New York Times and pick two to three articles to read. I encourage the students to do this for two months, making note of the article topics they read. These articles will likely have a similar theme, indicating a natural interest that might be worth ‘exploiting’ or delving into as a hobby or career.”

Alter’s visit served as another installment of this years’ ’WICK Center Speaker Series, which brings leading health and wellness thinkers to campus. The next speaker will be journalist and author Josh Foer on April 11.

Alter offered five principles for getting unstuck. The first he called “Explore and Exploit.” By way of explanation, he pointed to painter Jackson Pollack and filmmaker Peter continued on page 6

here to register for Josh Foer on April 11.

UPCOMING H&W SPEAKER

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led by Gianna Masi, Brunswick’s performance dietitian, and Kieran Halton, head strength and conditioning coach.

Growth, Development, and Independence was the topic of a Parent Conversation Circle for 4th grade parents in January; an evening session on the same topic is set for March 27, in the Upper School Library at 6:30 p.m.

Hosted by internist Marcie Molloy M.D. and pediatrician Courtney Spada M.D., topics include:

• Physical Growth & Development

• Expected physical developmental milestones in adolescence

• Body image and body comparison

• Correlation of physical stages with social stages

• Embracing Adolescent & Parent Awkwardness

• Teaching through science and your family values

• Vocabulary and questions to start and continue conversations

• Myths & misconceptions

• Opportunities within school, home, and the community that support healthy development and independence

Molloy said the January session went really well, and featured lively conversation among the 20 or so parents who were present.

“They were awesome in the discussion,” she said. “They asked great questions and shared their experiences (both successes and mishaps), showing by example our both supportive and caring Brunswick community.”

“Navigating puberty is not easy for parents and children, but the journey is better with knowledge, anticipation of developmental stages, preparation, good communication, community support, and of course a sense of humor.”

Nutrition, strength & conditioning are the topics of ongoing small-group Parent Conversation Circles at the Upper School,

Discussion topics include body composition goals using training and nutrition, losing and gaining weight with healthy habits, meal assembly for these goals, and satiety (what foods help with hunger and fullness). Leaders also work to debunk myths about nutrition & training/weightlifting, identify risks around restrictive/ binge patterns and behavior, and educate parents about supplements and their safety.

The event was so popular that a third session was added. Trust Time continues at the Pre and Lower Schools — the sessions are built into the calendar and feature bi-weekly classroom lessons around health and wellness and the RULER social-emotional learning curriculum. Recent topics covered include Sleep, Kindness & Friendship, Service, and Hygiene & First Aid. PreK, kindergarten and first grade earned a lesson sticker for their ‘Wellness Bear’ once they mastered each lesson.

Lower School boys are enjoying some cooking lessons with Chef Patrick — and learning about good nutrition in the process.

A 1993 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Patrick Kennedy has worked the Lower School dining hall for about three years. He works with teachers beyond scheduled meals, and partners with grade levels on curriculum. Students visit his kitchen for lessons; he created a science lesson on nutrition for our 1st graders, and baked fry bread with third graders in Social Studies.

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In the summer, he teaches the popular Cooking at ’Wick — which is consistently filled to capacity. The camp class offers ‘life lessons that can only be taught in the kitchen’ — things like time management, mental preparation and teamwork; students learn to make favorite foods like homemade pasta, eggs 4 ways, sushi, and even dabble in the art of baking.

“Chef Patrick’s creation of cakes and paintings around holidays and special events is really fun for the boys and teachers,” said Lower School Head Katie Signer. “He has created an environment that is joyful. The boys and teachers feel connected to those that work in the kitchen and repeatedly express how much they love the food and feel lucky we have such great meals and people who work here.”

’Wick’s youngest are now being offered “small yet poignant” health and wellness tools through Upstream, a Colorado nonprofit that aims to share a curriculum of actionable, bite-sized tools for student well-being.

Lower and Pre School faculty were introduced to Upstream training as part of the Brunswick Faculty Institute experience last year; a follow-up workshop was convened in February.

“Upstream provides easy, evidence-based tools to help students strengthen resilience, reduce anxiety, and enhance well-being,” said Marcie Molloy. “Upstream lessons can be taught and practiced in less than 10 minutes, which makes it easy for little people to learn big and impactful mindfulness tools.”

The Upstream program was originally designed for older students, but Molloy said there are “loads of great mindfulness mini-lessons and activities to promote resilience, good health and happiness for younger students as well.”

Middle School teachers implemented Upstream lessons last year; teachers are emailed a short lesson with mindful exercises to share every other week.

“The goal is for every Pre and Lower School student to have at least two to three mindfulness tools in their well-being toolbox,” said Molloy.

Upper School juniors had the chance to workshop the results of the Insights Discovery assessments they completed earlier in the year — every 11th grader attended a small-group clinic in the Student Center in the days running up to March break.

Brunswick became the first-ever high school to offer Insights Discovery to its entire junior class last year. The service sees juniors sit for a 20–30 minute character and personality assessment in the first week of school, and afterward receive a detailed report highlighting their individual strengths, communication styles, and more. Boys meet with coaches in the ensuing months, including Melissa Shahbazian P ’30, ’32, co-founder of Spark InSight Coaching, and newly trained coaches Marcie Molloy and Sarah Burdett. Small-group workshops, designed to help digest results from a team standpoint, were held in February and early March. Shahbazian says the workshops help boys understand their individual results in the context of a partner or group; boys can visualize differences and come up with strategies on how to communicate with opposite types of people.

“Workshops address that piece of ‘other’ awareness,” Shahbazian said. “They can register differences.”

Upper School Dean of Student Life Jon Kaptcianos noted that high school juniors stand on the cusp of young adulthood and all that comes with it. That makes junior year a particularly key moment for Upper Schoolers to gather essential information about themselves and others.

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About ten Middle Schoolers joined a handful of Upper School boys to help Family Centers of Greenwich provide holiday gifts for families who would not otherwise be able to afford them.

Students were joined by Middle School history teacher Michael Krasnow ’08, 7th grade dean Jay Crosby and Courtney Spada, director of service, leadership & sustainability; all of them met at the First Presbyterian Church in Stamford, where parents were invited to “shop” at tables grouped by age.

“Our boys worked as gift consultants (their specialty),” Crosby said. “They also served as wrappers, extra muscle bringing toys to cars, and as babysitters for younger children whose parents wanted their gifts to be a surprise.”

“It was a lot of fun, and the boys enjoyed the opportunity to provide for those less fortunate than themselves,” he said. “They also seemed to gain a better understanding of how the holidays are more about the giving than the getting, a message not easily delivered to this age group.”

A seventh-grade parent invited boys to participate in this special holiday giftgiving opportunity for low-income families from Fairfield County.

Community Service is now in the Trust Time rotation at the Lower and Pre School, with Courtney Spada providing lessons that highlight some of the work ’Wick’s youngest have already been doing in this arena — and offering some foundational lessons around the concept of Time, Talent & Treasure.

“These are our three buckets,” she said. “We talk about what they mean, and what they look like.”

“It’s so important to teach kids about service at a young age,” she said.

So far, ’Wick’s youngest have been involved in two new service projects, including a letter-writing campaign for residents of Edgehill, a senior living community in Stamford, and similar effort to reach out to patients and families at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, N.Y.

“Service is a great way to develop empathy,” Spada said. “Studies show kids and adults who do community service score higher on empathy. That’s why I am really passionate about this work. It’s a dream job for me as a pediatrician.”

Fifth-graders packed diapers and wrote heartfelt notes for the group Mothers for Others in a grade-wide service project during science time on Feb. 15. Facilitated by Krista Taylor, 5th grade science, and Courtney Spada, the project saw boys prepare care packages for the group Mothers for Others , which provides diapers to low and limited-income families in Fairfield County, including in Greenwich.

“It was a memorable, community building experience for all!” said Taylor.

Love and Lasagna were the lessons for Middle School boys in the days running up to Thanksgiving thanks to the nonprofit lasagnalove.org — and the cooking skills of history teacher Kyle Miller ’08 and English teacher Kate Duennebier. Miller, an avid home cook, started volunteering for lasagnalove.org last summer, after seeing an ad on social media. The nonprofit taps into the talent of home chefs like Miller and Duennebier, and through the magic of the internet, offers home-cooked meals to nearby people and families who request help — no questions asked.

“I love to cook,” said Miller. “I was really drawn to their mission immediately. I signed up to deliver a meal once a month in the Stamford area.”

Right before Thanksgiving, fifteen boys in the Miller and Duennebier advisories stepped up to volunteer, too. Boys stayed late after school on Tuesday and enjoyed a tutorial on how the layers come together to make the comfort food that is lasagna — Miller provided his own homemade sauce, simmering crushed tomatoes and basil on his own stovetop for the boys to layer amongst the cheese and noodles.

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The cohort ended up with five lasagnas in all; they watched a movie as the meals baked and then gathered to taste-test their work. Two lasagnas were eaten right away, and Miller and Duennebier delivered the remaining three to families over Thanksgiving break.

Hartong Rink served as the venue for the Greenwich Special Olympics ice skating practice this winter; Greenwich Special Olympics is always looking for volunteers to help, and this year Brunswick’s own Audrey Onsdorff laced up several times to take a turn on the ice. Seniors Brady Waldron ’24 and Bennett Klein ’24 along with coach and Middle School math teacher James Duval have also been spotted on the ice, while one of the special needs skaters is the son of a former Brunswick kitchen staff member. Volunteers help develop skating skills and techniques, as well as socialize with athletes, coaches and fellow volunteers. Practice was held every Saturday from Nov. 18–Feb. 24, all in preparation for the Winter Games in Simsbury in March.

Middle Schoolers got to celebrate Valentine’s Day with some adorable dogs thanks to an event organized by the Animal Service Club advised by Deanna Smyers. Smooch a Pooch saw all students in grades 5 to 8 get a chance to cuddle and take pictures with the furry visitors in a drive to raise money for Happy Life Animal Rescue. Faculty were invited to bring their pets to school for the event. A raffle to earn ‘free dress’ and special Valentine treats rounded out the event.

Service in support of the American Red Cross has a long history at Brunswick; the first Upper School club was founded more than 60 years ago by none other than Ross Ogden ’62 (P ’91, ’95).

Now, two Upper School students have expanded the club to include Middle School boys. Theron Case ’25 and Jack O’Connor ’25, leaders of the Upper School Red Cross Club, founded a Middle School cohort earlier this year. Together, they are running meetings and teaching younger students about the Red Cross, emergency preparedness, and blood donation.

More than 30 Middle Schoolers are turning up for meetings.

“They love seeing the older boys,” said Courtney Spada. “They realize it’s fun — the act of serving your community makes you feel good.”

Next up on the agenda is to spread the word on a special Brunswick School Blood Drive, which is set for Thursday, March 28.

A robust group of students meets before school each Thursday morning to help spread the word about greener living and most recently, to organize activities for Earth Week, which this year is set for April 22-26.

The Sustainability Council, led this year by Thomas Whidden ’24, also works to engage visiting experts to speak to students, including an upcoming April 16 talk by Peter McBride, National Geographic photographer and filmmaker.

“They have a lot of great energy and excitement,” said Courtney Spada, who serves as advisor with Tom Pettengill and Oliver Bierman-Lytle, both Upper School science teachers.