Somehow, as I’ve mulled over various themes around which to wrap my annual update, I keep coming back to Brood X--the periodical cicadas that returned to the northeast this summer with great, cacophonous fanfare. Perhaps it is the theme of returning, as we returned to an in-person start of the school year this August, after more than a year of navigating at least some portion of our student body attending school remotely. Something about the imagery of bursting forth from the underground after such a long, intense period of isolation, “sucking sap from tree roots,” (Todd Christopher, Like Clockwork, npca.org, Spring 2021) resonates with me.
I think of the ephemeral, intangible aspects of our community as the tree root sap, and how those fed us throughout our time hunkered down at home, trying to remain connected with each
other through our Zoom rectangles. And then came the joy, the energy, and the exhaustion we all felt when we returned to in-person learning. Unlike Brood X and other periodical cicadas, who appear all at once in mass numbers, this was gradual for us, but as you’ll read elsewhere in this issue, the sense of sweet relief, of living life almost as it should be, was palpable that first Morning Meeting in April 2021 when we had all classes concurrently together back on campus.
Now, with everything happening back in person this fall, cacophonous fanfare feels like another resonant phenomenon. Occupying the hallowed office off of the school’s foyer, I am treated to all the sounds of Academy life that I had—perhaps we all had— taken for granted as mundane. I hear the door of the walk-in fridge in the kitchen opening and closing as preparations are made for lunch. I hear students
and colleagues chatting between classes as they pass through every hallway or between buildings once again, as our usable spaces were more limited last spring.
Drums, guitar, piano, and vocals in the Recital Hall are both literal and figurative music to my ears once more. Once they’ve shot their first rolls of film, I’ll once again hear the sounds of chemicals being dispensed into measuring beakers as my analog photography students prepare to witness the magic of processing negatives and prints in the darkroom–and even better, the exclamations of delight as they see the results.
Unlike the cicadas, this progression of events–from hidden stillness to explosive energy–will hopefully not be cyclical. As more of our community members and their families become eligible for vaccination, we all hold our breath behind our masks and cross our sanitized fingers that we’re doing enough of the right things in order to keep being together in this way.
As someone who has spent more than 17 years of my life on this campus in various capacities, perhaps another thing I take for granted is how short the typical amount of time that most students spend with us truly is, in the grand scheme of things. That brevity is another connection to Brood X--“Scientist Benjamin Banneker… wrote in a June 1800 entry, ‘like the Comets, [cicadas] make but a short stay with us...’” (Todd Christopher, Like Clockwork, npca.org, Spring 2021). Of course, although 6 years is only a blink of an eye when it comes to a lifetime, these ones carry the heavy weight of adolescence, and all the importance that time holds in shaping one’s identity and life path. Be they more akin to periodical insects or celestial wonders, I’m so glad to share that the community of students gathered here on campus each year continues to hold and effuse
the love and joy of Academy culture that hundreds of alumni have treasured over the course of four decades--may they continue to do so for many, many decades to come.
With gratitude,
Nora Bates Zale '00 Co-Head of School for CommunityPublished annually by The Academy at Charlemont
1359 Route 2 Charlemont, MA 01339 (413) 339-4912 fax (413) 339-4324
academy@charlemont.org
Contributing Writers
Katherine Anderson '16
Nora Bates Zale '00
Ken & Diane Bigelow P14, 16, 21
Rhiannon Campbell '23
Adella Catanzaro '23
Juliet Corwin '22
Elaina Gibb-Buursma '21
Sarah Senet '21
Seamus Turner-Glennon '22
Contributing Photographers (unless otherwise noted in caption)
Will Draxler '21
Connor O'Brien '17
Academy Staff
Editors
Nora Bates Zale '00
Katherine Anderson '16
Production
Mike Grinley P23
Editing Support
Cornelia Reid P01
The Academy at Charlemont does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, handicap, national origin, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation in its education, admissions, and financial aid policies, or in any other programs and policies administered byThe Academy.
For a few years now, The Academy has been trying to move its community towards a more explicit commitment to antiracism. In this past academic year, this important goal was much more present in The Academy’s culture and curriculum than it had been previously. The school had a mandatory text to read throughout the year, STAMPED: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning, by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. The school’s Social Justice Council held a full-day antiracism training in January. And, preceding all of that, The Academy formed an antiracism task force.
The STAMPED reading was an opportunity for all age groups at The Academy to learn about racism’s history and the differences between being not racist and antiracist. Students were able to explore and consider their own thoughts, feelings, and comfort surrounding the topic and discuss these with their peers. Since we are a white-majority school, these conversations typically were led by white students and teachers.
The community has plans to shift the focus slightly to really learning how to have these conversations that for many of us are new and possibly uncomfortable. Additionally, there is work being done to address specific aspects of racism such as anti-blackness, white guilt and white-savior mindsets, microaggressions, and racism towards Indigenous peoples.
The antiracism training led by the Social Justice Council was considered a success. Workshops and a panel discussion were held with a variety of perspectives and topics. We also invited other schools in the area to join us via Zoom, so it was a lively and large group of students of different ages and backgrounds.
The incredible workshop
leaders included Shela Linton (racial justice advocate, activist, and community organizer at The Root in Brattleboro, VT), Rachel Sumner ‘03 (Academy alum, works at Cornell University’s Intergroup Dialogue Project), Ya-Ping Douglass (is involved in moving money away from policing and into other services and programs that truly keep communities safe for all), Maggie Lamps (a local carpenter and organizer), Penny Ricketts (President of Greenfield City Council), Rabbi Riqi Kosovske, Dr. Jamila Lyiscott (community-engaged scholar, nationally renowned speaker, author of Black Appetite. White Food: Issues of Race, Voice, and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom, Assistant Professor of Social Justice Education at UMass Amherst, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Center of Racial Justice and Youth Engaged Research), and Tahirah Amatul-Wadud (Islamic activist and attorney).
These incredible leaders held workshops on Centering Black-
ness in a Multi-Racial Movement, Reflections on White Racial Identity, an introduction to what defunding and abolishing the police really means, BIPOC Land Ownership and Sovereignty, everyday experiences of racism in our area, anti-semitism, Race: Liberation and Joy, and Islamophobia.
The panel focused on the intersection of racism and the criminal legal system. It consisted of Penny Ricketts and Tahirah Amatul-Wadud along with Paul Rudof (attorney at law and former Academy parent), Synphany Bates Zale (Academy girls basketball coach), and Talia Gee (Academy Trustee and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for the city of Springfield). Following this day, an anonymous attendee commented, “I think this work is essential, and I'm very grateful for the hard work that many community members have put into this endeavor. Making future trainings and discussions routine could continually be transformative for the school.”
The school’s antiracism task force is made up of current students and faculty, parents, alumni/ae, and Board members. I myself had the opportunity to be a member of it this past year. The school is definitely just at the beginning of becoming an antiracist space, but the amount of passion, effort, and care being put towards this cause is reason for hope.
As Co-Head of School Nora Bates Zale so accurately puts it, “We did a school-wide read and talked about it? Good. We held another training and invited other schools and learned a whole lot? Great. When we hold that up alongside all of the energy needed to address both the historical and contemporary acts of racism––from microaggressions to more blatant displays––that happen in this community (whether that means the Academy community, the independent school community, the local western MA community or beyond), the discrepancy is staggering. So, onward, then!”
At the end of August 2020, we transformed our living rooms into classrooms and prepared for another semester of remote learning. When we logged into the first Zoom Morning Meeting of the new year, many of us wondered what the next few months at The Academy would feel like,
and shiver together just as we had each year before, and by the end of our adventurous day, we could already feel the familiar, familial culture of The Academy returning, just as it had every fall before.
We continued learning how to navigate a remote Academy for another month before we saw another cherished tradition
er, we were all invited to campus to carve pumpkins, just as we would have before the Halloween dance. We arranged ourselves around the courtyard, knives and scraping tools in hand, to create the traditional medley of jack-o’lanterns, ranging from sculptural masterpieces to simple, candlelit faces that would line the berm for the next week. That day, as we
Zoom screen filled with familiar faces, our rooms filled with laughter and the traditional, and beautifully off-key, rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Each and every part of Polyglot was incorporated into our physically-distant celebration. From the French and Spanish plays that time and time again have made Aardvarks laugh to the point of tears, to story time with a CoHead of School, it felt as though we were inviting a small piece of The Academy into our homes.
and we questioned whether or not they would retain any of the Academy-isms that we had grown to love. Our fears, however, were short-lived, expelled by the sounds of eager voices suggesting team names and a (virtual) gavel promising Mountain Day.
A week later, our newly-named teams met at different locations to set out in kayaks for Paddling Day, a physically-distant adaptation of the long-held tradition of Rafting Day. While there were no rapids to traverse or wetsuits to wear, we were able to laugh
return. “Tomorrow is Mountain Day!”, Co-Head of School John Schatz announced on October 13th. And so, the next day, we spread out across western Massachusetts’ mountains, and together the school hiked Mt. Sugarloaf, Mt. Monadnock, Mt. Toby, Mt. Catamount, and, of course, Mt. Greylock. When we reached the misty tops of our mountains, we began to see that, while we were not yet all together again, our school would soon be able to reunite once more.
Sure enough, not a month lat-
sat together in the cool October air, remembering Halloweens past and feeling at ease under the warm embrace of tradition, we got our first glimpse of what school would be like when we could all return to campus.
First, however, we had one last tradition to introduce to our new remote community: Polyglot. In the middle of December, we each sat alone at our desks, lights draped around our window frames and tasting the sweet memory of Polyglot pretzels and clementines. As we stared at a
Polyglot did not, however, exist entirely online. Early in the celebratory week, juniors and seniors were invited to decorate campus with strings upon strings of holiday lights and the odd bauble or two. Each grade was then invited to our festive campus to take part in a class-wide “Secret Snow Friends” scavenger hunt put on by the seniors. At the end, they were gifted small bells, to be rung in virtual harmony on Polyglot day, and an assortment of snacks, each one representing a different element of our traditional Polyglot meal, right down to the assorted candy, a nod to that which would mysteriously appear in students’ shoes the years before. The Polyglot celebrations were a true testament to the strength of The Academy’s community, as we proved to ourselves that not even a pandemic could prevent us from combining time-honored traditions with jovial creativity into yet another magical end to a semester.
When we returned after Winter Break, it was not long until we began our hybrid learning model, in which each class would come to campus twice a week; a few months later the whole school was able to come to campus each day. During the transition, we continued to see pieces of The Academy integrated into our community in both remote and in-person settings. Students were
once again able to take part in class discussions together and we joyously continued the tradition of skating on the frozen fields. A few high school students also joined the Network of Complementary School’s virtual exchange program, where students from all across the United States, and Spain, were able to share their experiences of the pandemic and beyond. The program was a welcome experience, as it enabled us to broaden our understanding of what it means to be high-schoolers during a pandemic which was otherwise making many of our worlds feel uncomfortably small. By the time the ground began to thaw and we began to shed our layers of winter jackets, we were all excited to celebrate the change of seasons together.
The first of many spring celebrations was not, however, the traditional Fling in The Spring, but, rather, a new tradition all together: Community Day. On May 14th, we split the day into three parts: two blocks in which students were able to choose between activities ranging from painting with our art teacher, Mr.
Green, to kayaking at the DAR lake; and then the first ever Aardvark Float Race, in which each team constructed a raft to carry a stuffed Aardvark toy down a stretch of the Deerfield River right by the school. The midMay festivities provided students with a break from their everyday routines, but, more importantly, it was the first time that the whole community was able to laugh, and play, all together.
After our festive Community Day, it seemed as though every day was a celebration of sorts. We began coming together each morning for outdoor Morning Meetings, where we filled the fields with our joyful claps after each announcement. Soon enough, it was time for the students to don their togas and compete as teams in the much anticipated Fling in the Spring. The day was almost identical to those of years past. The seniors planned a wonderful array of activities to fill the morning, and they led their teams fearlessly during the Team Olympics that followed the traditional Roman Banquet. As the day came to a close, with students piling onto busses and friends waving and wishing each other
happy weekends, we could all appreciate the work that had been done to allow us to be together once more.
As the year came to a close, we welcomed more and more traditions back into our community. On June 5th, we were all given matching yellow shirts to wear as we set out on our annual Community Service Day. Though the day was hot, and the work was tiring, there was something comforting about seeing yet another cherished tradition return after such a trying year. That evening, the 10-12th grades were invited to the in-person Semi-Formal dance, the second of two events hosted by the junior class. The night prior, the whole school had re-entered our Zoom “campus”, dressed in semi-formal attire, complete with paper crowns handed out by the juniors, for a night of games and appreciations for our soon-to-be graduated seniors. Both evenings were filled
with joy, and both exemplified the strength, care, and even hilarity with which The Academy community had navigated the pandemic.
Less than a month later, we sat in the courtyard on the last day of school and watched a concert put on by an incredibly talented group of high schoolers. As we listened, we were able to reflect on the year that we had almost completed, from the very first Zoom Morning Meeting, to Paddling Day and pumpkin carving, to the drama group’s productions that premiered at the Northfield Drive-In, and, finally, to all being together under the warm June sun. Sitting there, we let our eyes wander across our beautiful campus, occasionally resting on a tree branch or ant hill that housed a particularly good memory, and it was clear that our community had succeeded in carrying our traditions, both new and old, through a year of change and unfamiliarity.
Not even a pandemic could prevent us from combining time-honored traditions with jovial creativityDecorating for an outdoor iteration of Polyglot Students enjoying our first Paddling Day
Bartlett Doty graduated from The Academy in 2000. He works for LEGO as a Senior Digital Campaign Manager and is lucky enough to have LEGOs decorating his office space. This year marks twenty-one years since he graduated from The Academy, a place that is “a second home” to him. Bart enjoys visiting The Academy as an alumnus: getting to see old classmates, remembering the many lunches spent outdoors with friends, and feeling the homey atmosphere that radiates from the school. He has always appreciated the “ethic and core of what makes an Academy student,” saying that “it is The Academy’s biggest strength, the community that it fosters. The leash of freedom and the respect that you are given as a student
are such important lessons that cannot be taught solely in the classroom.”
Bart is a part of LEGO’s Global E-commerce Team. This team creates what we see on the website, email, and social media. He previously worked in the Media and Markets Team where he was able to work with augmented reality. Bart appreciates the “culture and ability to work towards one’s passions” that LEGO fosters. He says it is truly gratifying to be a part of “enabling creative play for kids around the world” as someone working for LEGO. Having been a LEGO fan when he was younger, Bart says he now feels the need to ex-
SEAMUS TURNER-GLENNON: I suppose for those readers of Vox who might not be familiar: what is Potty Mouth and what do you guys do?
ABBY WEEMS: Potty Mouth is a band that I started with some friends in 2011. I was a junior at Charlemont and looking back on it now it’s wild that I, you know, went to school and was playing sports every day after school and then I would get home from sports practice and then go have band practice, and then go do homework. So I’m just thinking about it now–I’m like “Woah, actually that was like, a lot.” We just started the band for fun, I was just sort of learning guitar at the time (I had never really
written a song ever) but I wanted to play music and I felt like the musicians that were going to The Academy and taking the music classes were all very experienced already so it just didn’t feel like it would be productive for me to be in those school bands. So my friends that I made through the music scene and I just decided to get together and see what would happen if we made music.
STG: What was it (if anything) that sort of initially got you interested in playing music and in being in a band and in songwriting?
AW: Yeah, I mean I had friends that actually went to The Academy that were already in bands
that they made with their friends or their siblings, and they were all really good at their instruments and they seemed to have a lot of fun doing it, so I was definitely drawn to that as part of the social scene. Because I feel like that is a big part of the Western Mass social scene or at least, when I was in high school, a lot of people would just start bands and play a basement show and that was a reason for everyone to just get together and hang out in someone’s yard. Like “Oh, we’re gonna go see this new band that our friends just made.” So I feel like it seemed pretty accessible when I was in high school, like it was just something you could do for fun. And I don’t know–those same friends would make me
plain to new friends the reason why LEGOs accessorize his work space. In a day filled with meetings and planning, his work is not immediately recognizable. “There’s a moment everyone sees, like on LEGO.com where you see a wealth of experiences and content, but the reality of how it gets made is a lot of Excel sheets and communicating within the team. That nuance makes the job the job.”
Bart is an active alum. He participates in The Twelve Days of Christmas song at Polyglot, donates enticing LEGO sets to the Cornucopia Auction, and even brought a LEGO ornament making kit to Polyglot. He looks forward to a time when alumni will be able to visit the school again.
mix CDs and they burned me some of the first CDs I ever got–some Green Day and Jesus And Mary Chain–and I went to go see their bands play. Actually my bassist, Ally, the first band she was in was called Outdates and they were a local Northampton band that would play a bunch of shows and I saw them play at the Jones Library in Amherst and that was my first introduction to Ally and now we’ve been in a band together for ten years and we’ve moved across the country. So it was definitely just something that people would do, and how people met each other.
STG: You talked about this thing that I think was fairly universal for a lot of people before the ad-
vent of streaming or, you know, the mainstream proliferation of it of getting the prominent music technology of the time was–whether it was cassettes or CDs–burned for you by your friends. And so during that part of your life, how much of that discovery process would you say was determined by that scarcity?
AW: I think I know what you mean. Like, I did spend a lot of time on the Internet–it was pre-Bandcamp, or Bandcamp existed and my teenage self didn’t really even know what that was, all I knew was iTunes and the radiot–and so I would seek out these random websites where I could download free music so I could find cool stuff to show my friends because music was a thing that our friend group was centered around.
STG: And through that process of musical discovery at that age, what were some of the most important things that you learned–maybe without realizing it, in regards to music?
AW: I guess I learned that it’s not as scary to just try to be in a band and make music with people as long as there’s people you feel comfortable with. I felt at the time like “Oh you have to be really experienced or have really good music taste or, like, know what you’re talking about” but that’s just because all people around me were posturing or trying to look cool and I feel like once I broke through the very mystifying feeling of how to start a band it was like “OK, that’s not a big deal and we can just have fun with it” and my bandmates definitely made me feel that way. I never felt judged or nervous about bringing up an idea to them. I feel very lucky, I feel like I went through, like, a social experiment.
STG: And I guess sort of moving down the road from that point: this was a band you started when you were in high school, it started off as this local independent band. Was there a specific point
in your time in Potty Mouth when you initially realized that this might actually be something viable that you can do as a job?
AW: I think it was when we released our first record, Hell Bent, in 2013, and we had been asked to do a full U.S. tour with the band. And we had never done that before, we had only ever done weekend shows where we would go to Boston, Philly, New York, or maybe D.C. and then drive home. So when we got asked to do a full U.S. tour with this band, Perfect Pussy that was really blowing up at the time–and Swearin’, they did the other half–and at that point we were like “OK, the three of us really want to do this tour, that sounds really fun.” So I feel like at that point we realized that the three of us were really committing to Potty Mouth. And from there we met Trevor McFriedris who randomly emailed us [saying] “I really like what you guys are doing, if there’s any way I can help you I’d love to just get together and talk to you about your goals.” And we were like “OK this guy sounds pretty chill.” And he lived in LA at this time and he was like “I’m gonna be in New York on this day, we could meet and talk and I could also get you backstage passes to see Katy Perry,” and so we were like “Hell yeah!” and that’s how we met Trevor and from there he connected us with people that we shot music videos with, songwriters and producers that we’ve worked with, and even labels that we worked with for a little while. It just kind of snowballed from there.
STG: And was there sort of a particular point where you sort of initially realized that, like, you were a KNOWN band in some ways. Was that a shocking thing at first?
AW: I’m still surprised whenever someone says they know my band. There are so many bands out there these days that I don’t even feel that way about our band. If someone knows our
band I’m like “oh, cool, that is awesome that somehow we made a connection into their world.”
STG: And was there much culture shock associated with going on that national tour for the first time?
AW: I guess. I don’t know- I think it’s a culture shock in that it is kind of a rare thing for a bunch of young people to just randomly get together and travel around the country together. The people in this other band that we were touring with we’d never met before, and we brought a touring guitarist and a friend to do merch for us- and we didn’t really know them that well. We also had someone else on tour with us who’s just, like, a friend. The other band had a merch person and five people in their bandmaybe even six. And so it was a culture shock in that it was like “oh, okay, so now I’m going from
AW: Yeah. Perfect Pussy was headlining- or I guess we were co-headlining, I don’t remember. It was just the two of us. The tour was, like, 6 weeks long and in the second half this band Swearin’ joined and they started co-headlining and we were opening.
STG: On that same note of doing things for the first time, what was the experience of recording that first album like?
AW: It was not professional at all. I mean it was in that we recorded it with this guy Will Killingsworth who lives in, like, Shutesbury and he has a studio that’s built in the lower half of his house that also goes into the garage and the garage has been converted into the studio space where you record. He was just a local guy who had been in bands in the area for a long time and recorded a lot of people. So we were like “Ok, we have ten
city to city, a lot of these cities I’ve been to before but it’s cool because we have a direct destination at the end which is where we’re playing. And we’re seeing the same people every night but also new people every night.” It’s just a lot to take in but I feel like we had some really cool experiences because of it.
STG: And you said the tour was with two co-headliners?
songs that we’ve written now, let’s just record them and call it an album.” And we did it all live except for the vocals. I went in and did the vocals after and I just did a couple takes for each song. Back then I didn’t even have any concept of singing quieter in one part and louder in the choruses: I just sang the whole thing through and I was like “There we go, it’s recorded.” So there was very little production on that. And that was our first experience
with recording. Before that we’d only recorded an EP on a fourtrack in Ally’s basement.
STG: And what was that experience like of bringing in a producer and working with someone else to really make your stuff sound the way you wanted it to sound?
AW: We didn’t put too much thought into that. But when we did our second EP in 2015 with this guy John Goodmanson who definitely brought more ideas to the table and was able to translate ideas. I’d be like “I love this sound from this Cars song” or whatever, and he’d be able to be like “Ok, yeah, I know what we can use to make that specific sound for what we’re doing right now.” So that was really cool and I feel like that opened our eyes a lot to the possibility of songwriting technique and making songs more fun to listen to.
STG: That perfectly segues, actually, into my next question which is: what does the songwriting process for Potty Mouth really look like?
AW: When we first started the band it was very collaborative and random–we didn’t even have a singer picked out at the time. So whoever came to the table with a riff or a vocal idea we’d just be like “Ok, let’s use it!” Then once Phoebe left the band–because she and I were the main song contributors–I just sort of ran with it and got really good at being like “Oh, it would be cool if we did this with this part” or, you know, they’ll just come up with their own parts and that will add different elements to the song. But I want to–now that we’ve been a band for so long–get more into jamming and coming up with parts all together simultaneously. Which is really hard, and sometimes it’s just… not the vibe. We’re not really a band that hangs out and jams ever. It’s just kind of the style of our band to come to practice prepared with something to dive into.
STG: And are there any songwriters you find particularly inspiring or who influence you as a songwriter or just make you want to write songs?
AW: At first I feel like I learned how to play “Basket Case” by Green Day and I learned I can write a song. So Green Day was the seed that was planted. I love ‘90s rock–I love Juliana Hatfield and Veruca Salt and Weezer and Hole and Elliot Smith–I don’t know, I’m just a sucker for all that stuff. That’s the stuff that gets me really excited about music. Just the idea of people getting together and rocking out–it just feels really good. But at the same
were a rock band but were still coming to it as pop producers. So I’m just this kid in a punk band being put into a room with these producers who usually work on Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani or whatever and I’m like “I have to somehow manage this so I can get something out of it that I can use.” And once those writing sessions were over, a lot of times I’d just take a piece of that and write a completely different song out of it. Whatever you’ve gotta do to make it work. And so I feel like Snafu is a product of this headspace of trying to create music just for the sake of making it and making money. And I love all the songs–I think that they’re
music that’s fun. So Potty Mouth has always been at the cross section of “scary” and fun. Punk and pop. We’ll still be that but just not as polished.
STG: So when the next album comes around, I know you want to go back to that sort of DIY approach, but what’s some stuff you want to try in recording it?
time I love pop music–like, I love Carly Rae Jepsen. So it could be anything really–anything that has something interesting about it.
STG: Yeah I can hear that in your stuff. There’s some elements that feel very poppy, and not necessarily in a sort of traditional guitar-pop way, to how your songs are structured.
AW: I also went through a phase as a songwriter in the last few years–like, Snafu is a product of us going through a lot as a band and working with a lot of people who were really capital-driven. Who really wanted us to have a big smash hit and sending me off to places like Sweden and L.A. to work with all these pop producers. They understood that we
great and they were so fun to write and record. But I think that moving forward we’re gonna kind of go back to more the DIY root of recording in Ally’s basement and having a friend record us, and they’re going to be songs that are close to us and we’re excited about. So, it’s been a whole journey.
STG: I mean, even on that first album which is more lo-fi in approach it sounds like there’s still some of that pop sensibility to the songwriting. And I think that experiencing of realizing that mainstreaming and poppiness are not necessarily the same thing is really interesting.
AW: Yeah, I mean, I do love pop music and I just love to make
AW: Well we did release a couple songs, but that was part of a compilation we did with some friends. We are actually releasing some new music in I think August or September–we’re gonna put out three new songs. And during August we’re going to be recording a new album. The three songs we’re releasing on the EP were all recorded before the pandemic at a friend's studio. He helped us really produce that stuff but it still sounds more lo-fi. So I feel like that’s us transitioning into the new sound. So when we record that new album in August with our friend Koji–that’s gonna be when we experiment with being in Ally’s basement. We’ll just be able to hang out and mess around with stuff without the pressure of paying for studio time or being on the label’s dime. I think it’ll be more relaxed and I think it’ll be more fun because of that. We wanna add fun sound bites and just be more natural with it which is harder when you’re in a studio that you had to pay for.
STG: So it’s getting back not just to the songwriting approach you had before but to that idea of trying to carve out your own place and do things on your own terms and that sort of thing?
AW: It’s gonna be fun. And we’ve been doing a lot more of that lately–just doing things for ourselves. The more people you bring in to work on your project the more power dynamics there are. It sort of takes away the freedom of the process. So it’s just gonna be fun to record something without label people asking for a specific sound or a song for a specific topic or whatever.
This year was my first time doing drama as an actor, since I was part of the makeup crew in March of 2020. I was honestly very nervous to attend Drama through Zoom at first, because it felt so unreal, not being able to be together in the Recital Hall, everybody in their assigned rectangle on my computer screen. But after a few introductory games organized by Ms. OK (Kimberly Karlin, Academy math teacher and drama instructor), and some wacky conversations about things like creating a new brand of soap that would be lavender and oatmeal-scented, Drama became my favorite part of the week. It also became Ms. OK’s: “It was the most rewarding part of my year because it was a chance to just be silly and step out of the regular daily grind.”
We decided to read through a bunch of different plays that could be done virtually, and we ended up picking Do You Read Me?, a play about a colony trying to grow the first eggplant on Mars. Dr. Weaver, a scientist at NASA played by Leo Wurgaft ’22, gets in contact with all the colonists, and he finds out that there is a lot the “common folk” he sent out to space do not tell each other. Our second play was 10 Ways To Survive Life In Quarantine, an episodic play in which 10 methods for COVID-19 quarantine survival are represented. The methods are, in order: Fall in Love
with Inanimate Objects; Perform in Your Own Musicals with Your Pets; Fun with Scissors, or, So Much Crafts; I Am Good at Sports Now-No One Can Stop Me; William Shakesbear; Catch Up on Your Studies; Get Really Involved in The Lives of Squirrels Outside Your Window; Sleep, Live in Pajamas, Eat Chocolate; Tell Spooky Stories; and Megalomania.
Nick and I were asked to write a song for the credits of 10 Ways: he wrote and performed the music and I did the same for the lyrics. I am pretty sure that anybody in the school can sing it to you at this point. I personally cannot stand hearing it anymore, but everybody was super engaged in the weekly performances shown by Ms. OK at Friday Morning Meetings, and it feels good to know the community is supportive of all the work the Drama crew has done this year.
“Getting used to acting for a recording versus acting live was a little tough, as I had to do things over again a lot to find the right take, and I had to do scenes out of order” (Leo Wurgaft ’22). The year was full of joy, but it also had its share of challenges. Some of us experienced boredom on Zoom, difficulty memorizing lines, scheduling times to practice and record monologues, or even internet issues! There were a lot of internet issues… But we also saw it as an opportunity to do something new, like Rachel ’23, whose personal highlight was “Getting to try something new that I knew I enjoyed, but had never had the courage to do before.”
We all had different highlights of the plays, but here are a couple of favorite lines, which I myself really appreciated as well.
-"I was thinking of throwing us out the airlock." "That's murder." (Zoe’s favorite line)
-“Thrace Mallamar!”
(Ms. OK’s favorite line)
-“And we know he is happy because... He is smiling! Could be rabies. Sometimes there's rabies in the forest. But don't worry, he is a happy little moose, and he's not going to bite you. Very realistic." (Chanina’s favorite line)
The most incredible part of my experience actually happened at the very end of the year, when we showed our representations at the Northfield Drive-In! What a time–it was so amazing to see most of the community gathered in one place to celebrate the crew’s work. I even got to talk to parents and people I hadn’t seen in over a year because of the pandemic.
Ms. OK really impressed me with how much work and effort she put in to make this year memorable and to make my last year at The Academy as memorable as it was. She spent days and nights editing the footage we created during drama. I remember she told me she always felt she was spending a lot more time with us than she actually was because she was watching us all the time when we weren’t in school. She made it possible for every single one of us to have fun, and to enjoy something from start to finish during this weird year, and I am thankful for that!
Drama at The Academy is over for me, but the memories will stick around, I know it.
Eliza Bigelow, from Colrain, will attend Skidmore College in Fall 2022 after a gap year, during which she plans to pursue travels in Mexico and France to learn more about fiber arts in such areas. Eliza fondly remembers her involvement in The Academy’s visual and performing arts programs—music, photography, and ceramics, in
particular—and gave back to The Academy’s arts programs by teaching members of our community to weave as part of her senior project. As a senior, Eliza was the recipient of the Kerlin Conyngham Fine Arts Award for Work in Visual Arts. Also an asset to The Academy’s cross country, basketball, and Ultimate Frisbee teams and a lead-
er in the Food and Gardens Council, Eliza is grateful for the wide range of offerings available in The Academy. Her favorite Academy memories include various shenanigans during class and the comfort of a small community—she looks forward to keeping in touch with Academy friends in alumnihood.
Eli Catanzaro of Chesterfield will matriculate to Washington and Lee University after a summer of raft guiding with Zoar Outdoor. Eli was a member of our cross country team and heavily involved in our Drama program, playing Dr. Jekyll in the 2020 drama pro-
duction, among other impressive roles.. In addition, Eli played bass in many Academy bands and took on leadership as a dedicated member of The Academy’s Honor Council. At the conclusion of his senior year, Eli received the Jane Grant Honor Council Award
as well as the Coaches Award. He fondly remembers his time in the recording studio, some of which was spent creating his senior project podcast, an exploration of pre-Colonial structures in western Massachusetts.
Nick Clark, a resident of Greenfield, will attend Greenfield Community College as a part-time student while working for Klondike Sound following his time at The Academy. An integral part of The Academy’s music program over
the last several years, Nick enjoyed helping with concert setup and breakdown (for which we’re so grateful!) and received the Kerlin Conyngham Fine Arts Award for Work in Performance at the conclusion of his senior year, as well
as the Coaches Award as a junior. Beyond music, his favorite classes at The Academy included those in science, humanities, and Latin. Nick was a member of the Arts Council and refurbished an old guitar for his senior project.
Will Draxler, from Heath, will attend College of The Atlantic after a gap year, during which he is coaching cross country at The Academy and hopes to focus on his photography and perhaps backpack the length of Norway! During his time as an Aardvark, Will was an incredible asset to our cross country (often finishing long before all other
runners in a given competition) and Ultimate Frisbee teams and, as part of his senior project, ran a 100mile ultra-marathon during his senior year. Will also contributed his invaluable photography skills to our Grove Yearbook team for several years. As a senior, Will was the recipient of the Kerlin Conyngham Fine Arts Award for Work in Visu-
al Arts, and he was recognized as Outstanding Upper School Athlete during his junior and senior years. He fondly remembers the freedom and chaos of class trips and is grateful for the opportunities he’s had at The Academy to connect with and learn from teachers on an individual level.
Elaina Gibb-Buursma, who hails from Jacksonville, VT, will take a gap year following her graduation from The Academy and hopes to practice her French skills while traveling! Elaina enjoyed her Academy Ancient History and Global Studies classes in particular, and she appreciates how working in the HBH through her
time as a student helped her to build confidence around cooking. Some of her favorite memories include her class’s 8th grade mock trial, and playing foosball together as a class in 9th grade. During her senior year, Elaina helped to coach soccer after school in the fall with fellow seniors and explored comedy, writing a series of comedic
scripts, through her senior project. She was also a dedicated member of The Academy’s basketball and Ultimate Frisbee teams, and took on leadership as a member of the Community Service Council. Elaina was the recipient of the Academic Award during her 10th grade year.
Gwen Howe, from Bernardston, plans to take classes at Greenfield Community College while pursuing art on her own following her time at The Academy. Gwen enjoyed the time she spent in the Common Room with friends and
classmates during her Academy years, and was a notable presence on the soccer and basketball teams. Gwen also displayed immense artistic prowess during her time at The Academy, including submitting fantastic works to the
Teen Invitational at Mass MoCA, and earning the Kerlin Conyngham Fine Arts Award for Work in Visual Arts during her sophomore year.
Cristy Kasbo, of Conway, is attending Amherst College. An accomplished Academy basketball player as well as a horseback rider outside of school, Cristy served on the Community Service Council at The Academy and most enjoyed Polyglot celebrations, winter
and spring concerts, driving to games with the basketball team, and spending time in the Common Room with friends. In addition, Cristy served as Student Representative to The Board of Trustees. Her senior project involved the creation of a website and series of essays
entitled “The Syrian Experience: Resilience Throughout War and Beyond.” Cristy was the recipient of the Academic Award during her 9th, 11th, and 12th grade years and the Ellen MacLeish Zale Community Service Award during her 10th and 11th grade years.
Julian Keins traveled each day to The Academy from Amherst and will attend Skidmore College following graduation. Grateful for the close-knit student-teacher relationships at The Academy, Julian
particularly enjoyed his visual arts pursuits and his senior project, a series of interviews with members of the transient population. He fondly remembers his 7th grade Rafting Day, during which the se-
nior class helped him feel especially welcome, and returned the favor as a dedicated senior leader during his final year at The Academy.
Molly Keller of Cummington, who plans to attend the University of Maine after a gap year, joined The Academy as a senior during a unique year, but made her mark on our community nonetheless.
Throughout the year, she most enjoyed Paddling Day, her senior project—for which she wrote a short novel—and spending time underneath the big tree next to the driveway. Molly was an exception-
al team leader to her team, quickly and thoroughly embracing the ethos of Academy leadership, as if she’d been with us all along.
Sylvie Mauri, who is from Deerfield, will take a gap year and spend time applying to colleges following her Academy time. Sylvie was an active participant in The Academy’s Model UN program and an asset to The Academy’s basketball and Ultimate teams. Sylvie most
enjoyed her Biology, Geometry, and Ancient History classes at The Academy, and her favorite Academy memory is her class’s “Ranch” themed dance, where costumes ranged from farm-wear to salad dressing. Sylvie’s senior project included research and extensive trial
and error in the process of creating stuffed animals for donation to children in need—a lovely culmination to her extended commitment to the Community Service Council.
Sarah Senet, who hails from Belgium and has lived in Colrain, Greenfield and Bernardston during their time at The Academy, joined us during their junior year. They will continue on to higher education in the United States, beginning
with a stint at Greenfield Community College. Sarah has played an active role in The Academy’s music and drama program as a talented actor and vocalist and was awarded the Kerlin Conyngham Fine Arts Award for Work in Performance
as a senior. Sarah also took on leadership in the Student Advisory Board and Community Service Council and is grateful to have had the opportunity to have had difficult and complex conversations in Academy classrooms.
Alex Tobits, of Readsboro, VT and Florida, MA has plans to attend Vermont Technical College following his graduation from The Academy. A tinkerer at heart, and an essential leader on the Technology Council, his friendly support to all community members who
needed help with just about any technological device will be dearly missed. Alex’s helpful nature certainly extended beyond technology to just about any community task at hand. Alex enjoyed being a part of techie crew for many Academy drama productions, and created a no-
table senior project as he explored the structural aspects of car safety. Alex hopes to take the lessons he learned from his senior project in order to design and engineer the cars of the future.
On the beautiful 80 degree early summer day that was June 19, 2021, the Academy community gathered to honor this year’s senior class as they became the newest Academy alumni. It was an emotional day for many, both those watching on Zoom and the families and friends present at the ceremony. As rising senior Leo Wurgaft began to play a gentle piano melody, in-person guests were queued to settle into the traditional white graduation chairs that have held the families and friends of Academy graduates for many years past.
After a warm welcome from the new Student Representative to the Board of Trustees, rising senior Juliet Corwin, the soonto-be graduates made their way single file into the tent holding vibrant red roses to the background of Leo’s music. Following the seniors were Academy staff, greeted by applause from the friends and families of the graduates. To begin the commencement ceremony, Associate Co-Head of School Nora Bates Zale took the stage to welcome everyone and to introduce Paul Catanzaro, parent of graduating senior Eli Catanzaro and Clerk of the Board of Trustees. Paul brought congratulations to the seniors on behalf of the Board and thanked the senior class for their outstanding leadership, as well as praising the extraordinary effort the teachers, staff, and Co-Heads of School put forth in such an unsure and challenging year, saying that all involved “kept the light shining”.
Mrs. BZ then returned to the podium and began by acknowledging that Commencement was being held on the first national-
ly-recognized Juneteenth, which was met by a rousing round of applause. Mrs. BZ continued by discussing the light that each senior has brought to our community in a year of such darkness. She thanked each senior individually for their musical, athletic, and artistic talent, kindness, humor, honor, commitment, inspiration, tenacity, perception, drive, and love. Mrs. BZ fin-
Side of the Road by Van Morrison. Co-Head of School Neale Gay then took the stage to confer diplomas. Mr. Gay distributed diplomas to each member of the Class of 2021 with the exception of two diplomas given by Board of Trustees member Dave Howe to his daughter Gwen Howe and Sarah Senet, whom the Howe family hosted. The presentation of each diploma was met by an
be forgotten as they moved on.
Eli Catanzaro spoke about his love for wildflowers, their smell, and their ability to thrive despite the circumstances. He said that even though he is leaving everything he has known behind, he still has his wildflowers. He finished by thanking his friends and family individually.
Nick Clark began with thanking his parents, teachers, and his classmates, before listing off some albums that helped him get through high school, among which were The Rising by Bruce Springsteen and By The Way by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Will Draxler thanked his parents and brother as well as the class and the entire Academy community. He thanked his running crew and finished by reading a one word story that was composed for him by former Academy students Tor and Linnea Zimmer.
ished by inviting the community to peruse materials about the Hooker-Leavitt House (more commonly known as Burrington) which was once a part of the Underground Railroad, in honor of Juneteenth. Additionally, she invited the seniors to visit a space in the basement where inner chamber walls used to shelter formerly enslaved people on their quest for freedom. She encouraged the Class of 2021 to “keep fighting the good fight.”
A musical interlude followed, with Scott Hoffman leading Leo Wurgaft (keyboard), with graduates Nick Clark (guitar), Sarah Senet (vocals), and Eliza Bigelow (vocals) in an emotional and gorgeous rendition of Bright
enthusiastic round of applause.
After this new class of Academy alumni were officially recognized as such, they took to the podium to relay final words to The Academy community in their valedictorian remarks. Each member of the Class of 2021 took an entirely unique approach to their speech, in some cases causing laughter, in some tears, and in still others enthusiastic nods of understanding.
Eliza Bigelow gave an individual shoutout to each member of the class with a specific memory or little-known fact about them, and spoke as well about the Bigelow family’s long-standing time at The Academy and voiced her wish that their legacy would not
Elaina Gibb-Buursma talked about the way their class has changed, and certain particularly memorable moments from each year including their loud foosball games in 9th grade and looking up pick-up lines on Valentine’s Day to try on one another in 10th grade. She finished her speech by thanking friends, family, teachers, and the entire Academy community.
Gwen Howe began by speaking about the sense of community at The Academy, and the relationships that are present between all walks of life at school here. She continued by saying that she will hold onto the memories she has made here forever, and that even though endings can be painful and difficult, it means a new beginning as well. She finished by saying that she is scared to move
on and leave what she has found to be a home for the past several years of her life and thanked her family, the Co-Heads of School and teachers, as well as her classmates.
Cristy Kasbo spoke about where she saw herself graduating when she was younger, and that this was not what she saw at all but that she is thankful for The Academy community. She spoke about some of the challenges her family had faced, but that she has had innumerable wonderful memories at The Academy. She shared some of her favorite memories and thanked several staff members, her classmates, her family, and her family friends.
Julian Keins began by reminiscing about what had led to his moment at the podium, and his choice to stay at The Academy rather than to switch schools. He spoke about how wonderful a community and a place it is and that his only regret would be to have not taken advantage of the
opportunities that such a welcoming community presented, to their fullest. He continued on to talk about his favorite childhood book, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, and related himself to the protagonist of the book and used The Academy as his spirit bear. In other words, the school became something that helped him find himself and calm his pain. He finished by thanking various parties including his family, dog, teachers, friends, and classmates.
Sarah Senet talked about some of their difficult times in Belgium, and how different everything is here at The Academy compared to their school life there. They used some of the skills that they have had the opportunity to develop here as an example of the way they have changed since their time in the United States began, and listed some new habits of theirs as further examples of this. Sarah emphasized how accepted they feel at The Academy and
thanked staff members, their host families, and their friends along with everyone who made them feel like they belonged.
Molly Keller began her impromptu speech by recognizing her late entry to The Academy and her previous years in public school as well as the things that led to her transfer to our school. She continued on to say that despite the fact that she hasn’t had the opportunity to meet all the teachers and have all the experiences that the Academy offers, she is thrilled to have been able to be a part of this place even if it was only for one year. She finished by thanking her family and friends and voiced her excitement for the uncertainty to come, since this year’s uncertainty brought wonderful memories and experiences.
Finally, Alex Tobits also delivered an impromptu speech after throwing his idea of having the shortest graduation speech ever out the window. He reminisced
about some of his favorite memories of being in the Common Room with friends and thanked faculty members as well as the entire Academy community for creating such a wonderful place to be.
After the speeches, Cristy Kasbo and Eli Catanzaro proceeded to announce the senior gifts: a mural in Hobbs Hall to be painted by Academy art teacher Andrae Green.
The Class of 2021 proceeded from the tent on their day of graduation to our school song Vivat Academia sang by their family, friends, and teachers.
As the graduates headed to the courtyard, family and friends could be seen literally racing one another to be the first to hug and congratulate the newest alumni and to take photos together that will last a lifetime, similar to all the memories that have been made over the years at 1359 Route 2 in Charlemont, MA..
Congratulations, Class of 2021!
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Rebecca Hopwood
(formerly Rebecca Gibson) writes: “I live on Cape Cod with my husband, Greg, and three kids, Autumn (17), Jonah (16), and Ivy (13). After being a stay-at-home for 14 years I decided to go back to school! I earned an
back at a steady practice of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and a couple of years ago I won a Colorado State Championship in the old man heavyweight division.”
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MFA in Writing for Film and Television. It was a great program. Currently I’m working at a skin care/ wellness boutique and a gluten-free bakery.
I’m also short-form blogging on both Facebook and Instagram (@ rebeccacapecodlife) to keep my writing wheels greased. Ultimately I am aiming to pen another script. Being a mama taxi (when I’m not working) for three teenagers is NUTS and very time-consuming.
I turn 50 this year and am feeling a bit of whiplash with how fast time flies. My eldest daughter starts applying to colleges this fall and I am pinching myself...is this actually happening?”
Joshua Shurtleff writes: “This year I quit my career in food manufacturing and bought a local pizza shop. It's been fun to put smiles on people's faces every night. In my scant free time the family heads into the high Rocky Mountains for various adventures and hot springs. After a break for covid I'm
Jaslyn Cincotta married Jared Wilson in 2016, with him came Bruce. They live in Portland, OR.
Jason Healy writes: “I'm about an hour away in Suffield, CT with my wife and four kids. I'm teaching computer science and the head of the technology department at Suffield Academy where I get to merge my two big interests (computers and teaching). I haven't been up to Charlemont much this year, but plan to be there several times this summer to visit with family who are staying in town. I always point out the school to my kids when we drive by. Might go for a swim at the still water just down the street from you this year, so I'll be sending vibes your way.”
Jed Haupt writes: “I will be the Chair of the History Department at Fountain Valley School of Colorado starting the 202122 school year, where I've worked since 2014, which I am very excited about! I also oversee our school's Global Scholar Diploma program, where I get to tell war stories from my senior year at The Academy. Our son Charlie turns four in June and is living his best life, despite COVID insanity. Best wishes to everyone in Western MA.”
Megan Hawkins writes: “I grew up to be an archaeologist. I work for the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC). I work in the Pacific, I currently live in Guam and just signed up for a second 24 month tour with NAVFAC Marianas. Eventually I will have to return to my home command at Pearl Harbor.”
Aethena Enzer-Mahler and her partner Nate welcomed their baby, Asher in May! Additionally, Aethena continues to work as a therapist and a psychological consultant to schools in Western MA, including at The Academy! Aethena lives in Florence with her family
and loves seeing all the local (and distant)Academy friends as much as possible!
Jenn Wood
“Soooo I’ve just been staying away from people for the last year. I’m still slowly working on renovating the multi family house I bought in North Adams. It’s been painfully slow, but it’s progressing. I also started a website to sell my art and stickers -www.
Hannah Smith currently leads her own empowering creative writing groups, Write Freely Listen Deeply. Each group centers uplifting feedback, authenticity, healing, and growth. Hannah recently moved back to Shelburne Falls with her husband, Jesse, and cat, Janeway, after 15 years of living across the globe and country.
Jadria Cincotta is engaged to be married to Michael Allan in 2022. They live in Wellington, NZ. Julie & Joseph live in Wilmington, VT. All were visiting Great Aunt Liz, 94 years old in April 2021, who has lived in Hawaii for 40 years! (see photo).
mauswood.com. It’s been awesome to see how well received it’s been and it gives me motivation to actually create. Currently I’m working a bit in the kitchen at Rowe Camp. I often think back to the HBH and cooking for about the same number of people. Very fond memories of class fundraising meals and Spanish lunch. Hope everyone is well!”
Simon Reid writes “I am living in Rochester, NY, giving people my scathing opinions of the game projects they (willingly!) offer to the Altar of My Judgment.”
Erin Tuffy writes: “I am practicing as an Emergency Medicine doctor outside of Philadelphia, PA. In my spare time I still enjoy social dance and hanging out at home with my two rabbits, Finn and Fiona.”
Rebecca Gonzalez-Kreisberg writes “I’m living in Northampton and teaching 6th Grade Math and Science at the Campus School of Smith College.”
Jeannie Bartlett writes “I'm currently living in Montpelier, VT and working for a fruit tree nursery. It's lovely here - get in touch if you're ever up my way!”.
Zoe Neeley writes: “Hello all! This summer marked the 10th year I've worked at the YMCA of Greenfield - like The Academy the YMCA has been another home away from home for me. In September I will be going back to the Gill Montague School district where I will start my second year teaching science as a special for students in grades K - 6. My 2021 highlight was going to a Bruins play-off game with my younger brother Wil Neeley ('15), the Bruins did lose that game (and the play-offs) so I may or may not be bad luck.”
ing in the fields of Substance Use Disorders, HIV and Health Equity. I am also a recent member of the Academy Board of Trustees, happy to be reconnecting with my Charlemont community.”
been taking advantage of the amazing skiing and hiking opportunity in upstate NH!
Hannah Lessels writes “Since graduating from Amherst College with my BA in 2018, I have worked in public health consult-
Cassandra Bigelow writes: “Since graduating from Saint Anselm College in 2020 and receiving my RN/BSN, I have been working at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in the beautiful upper valley of NH as a NICU nurse. I have (almost) officially finished my year in the nurse residency program and am now working independently on the unit taking care of infants with prematurity, respiratory distress, genetic conditions, cardiac malformations etc. I also have had the opportunity to care for micropreemies (babies born between 22-28 weeks gestation)! Other than working, I have
Being back at the Academy this year to see my sister graduate was so special and so emotional. First of all, being on campus always brings back a flood of fun, silly, priceless memories. But this was an especially memory-provoking day, as I recalled the last 13 years that my family has been affiliated with the Academy. Basketball games, ultimate tournaments, XC meets, concerts, polyglots, exchange students.. all of us Bigelow’s have been through so much with the Academy! What a wild and beautiful journey it has been! Thank you to everyone who has been part of it <3”
Leah Finn-Erb writes: “I graduated from Westfield state in 2020 and have since been working at the Williamsburg Animal Clinic as a vet tech since then.”
Fifteen years ago, David Purington P12, 14, asked us if we had considered The Academy at Charlemont as an education option after our kids graduated from Colrain Central School. “Why no, we have not.” As public-schooled parents whose parents were public school teachers and public school board members, an independent day school was not on our radar. Nevertheless, we took advantage of the invite to an Academy Open House when Alex was in 6th grade, Cassandra in 4th, and Eliza in preschool. The rest is history! Eliza just graduated with the Class of 2021.
Alex ’14 left the Open House thinking The Academy was a place he could see himself thrive, and we thought it a perfect fit for a then-reserved Cassandra ’16. Eliza ’21 endured seven years of Academy life before she set foot in the door to start her own
Academy journey in 7th grade. In the late 2000s, public school funding reductions created more study halls and cuts to music and arts programs, and the emphasis on The Common Core curriculum emerged geared towards
mastering the MCAS tests. The classic curriculum offering of The Academy, Studio Block program promoting music and arts, required Latin and sports, and college prep that was more about discussions and less about
Ella Deters writes: “I am going into my Senior Year at Brandeis majoring in Health, Science, Society, Policy and minoring in Hispanic Studies; Educational Studies; and Creativity and Social Transformation. I am working this summer as a Behavioral Specialist at the Northampton YMCA for their summer camps.”
Ethan Brossard on his latest photography pursuits: “I've been working on my own projects, and also working at the In-Sight photography project in Brattleboro helping with their youth photo classes.”
AP classes, was remarkable; the opportunity to enroll our children at such a place was a dream. Ironically, our children’s first baby sitters were Academy students (Elizabeth ’98 and Angela Slowinski [Schatz] ’01). Like other Academy students we knew, they exuded a joy for life and interacted with adults in a remarkably comfortable manner.
When we learned Alex was accepted at The Academy, there was, of course, the financial commitment to consider. The Academy offered a financial package that made it possible for us to send Alex and to maintain the commitment to our family that we were accustomed to, and leaving room for us to give back as the years unfolded.
We will never forget Alex skipping around our home as a 7th grader, so excited about school. Cassandra joined him two years later. He was excited to share the day-to-day Academy experiences
and traditions with her. They both felt that at The Academy, it was okay to like school! Eliza endured and enjoyed fourteen concerts and exhibitions, seven theatrical performances, fiftyor-so soccer games, over seventy Ultimate frisbee contests, twentyor-so basketball games, a handful of baseball games and at least a dozen cross country meets before even entering 7th grade. But excited she was to have her own AAC journey and spend the first year of AAC life with Cassandra as a senior.
So why do we support The Academy and why will we continue to support The Academy? What does support look like to us? Our support is reflective of what The Academy provided for us. The Academy supported our kids through their unique academic and social journeys. We were assured our children would not slip through the cracks. They did not. The teachers and staff were invested, concerned, supportive and responsive. The community that is built among the staff, students and parents is
real. Parental involvement and input has always been welcomed and encouraged.
Financially, we felt supported through every change in our life circumstances. When we wondered how we could send Eliza with two kids in college, The Academy worked with us to make it possible. We felt gratitude for the opportunity to continue an Academy education for Eliza and did what we could to support The Academy through continued ancillary support; Ken helped to organize the annual work bee and served as a sounding board for building maintenance and improvements. Once Eliza was an Academy student, Diane found herself a seasoned AAC volunteer taking on a co-chair position of the Academy Parents Council and coordinating all for our annual pie sale in the fall. Together we loved supporting the sports teams, attending as many contests as possible and looking forward to visiting with other parents on the sideline. The Cornucopia Auction meetings were great social events and we enjoyed
working with so many amazing parent volunteers over the years in addition to the Academy staff who volunteer their time beyond the daily hours they devote to our kids.
The Academy embraces allthings community, and we tried to engage that in attending and hosting class gatherings and inviting exchange students into our home. When supporting the Auction, we have tried to solicit and create items that people would enjoy bidding on in support of The Academy. We bid on a week at the Vavstuga Weaving summer workshop for Eliza when she was in her middle school years, then saw that turn into a senior project of weaving that was a source of solace during the primarily-remote 2020-2021 school year. The same project created a communal source of joy and intrigue when staff and students returned to in-person schooling and took advantage of a mini-weaving lesson from Eliza. The takeaway from that? Opportunities at AAC lead to lifelong skills and maturity.
We have been blessed to have been physically present at The Academy for so many events. However, a simple conversation with a friend or co-worker can turn into a decade and more of future support for The Academy and the enrichment of a student’s academic life. We have seen a fluid evolution of The Academy over the years, even through a pandemic. Alex, Cassandra and Eliza spent their middle and high school years in an incredibly supportive, safe environment, helping prepare them academically and socially for the years ahead of them. The Academy fulfills their mission of a public-minded independent school, and they made it possible for us to afford this opportunity for all three of our children, welcoming and inviting any and all support we gave them in return. We will continue to support The Academy to bring this unique and enriching opportunity for future students in our corner of Massachusetts, southern Vermont and beyond... Viva la Academy! See you at the legendary AAC concerts!
ANNUAL GIVING
• The Academy relies on the generous, annual support of our community of alumni/ae, parents, families and friends to sustain our programs. Annual Giving supports all of The Academy’s programs, including financial aid.
LEGACY GIVING • An investment in The Academy at Charlemont through a bequest provision or any other planned gift vehicle is a meaningful contribution that demonstrates a strong vote of confidence in the mission and value of an Academy education. Common forms of legacy giving include:
• A bequest of cash, stock, personal or real property via a will, or beneficiary giving via a trust, retirement plan, or life insurance
• Life income plans such as a Charitable Gift Annuity
• Charitable Remainder Trust
Donors are encouraged to discuss their charitable giving plans and needs with their own financial and legal advisors. Our Development Office welcomes inquiries and notification of intent in matters of legacy giving.
RESTRICTED GIFTS • Restricted gifts are those that are designated for specific capital projects or programs. Please contact our Development Office for more information.
ENDOWMENT GIFTS • Endowment gifts are permanently restricted to support The Academy’s programs, including but not limited to financial aid, and help sustain The Academy over the long term. Most recently, family and friends established the Eleanor (Ellie) Lazarus Memorial Fund for the Arts to support The Academy’s Studio Block program.
The Academy accepts gifts by check, money order, or credit card and gifts of appreciated securities.
ONLINE GIFTS • Please visit www.charlemont.org/give to make a secure online gift with a credit card. Online gift processing is available for one-time or recurring gifts.
RECURRING GIFTS • The Academy can process a recurring monthly gift with credit card information from the donor, either online as above or manually with the donor’s signature on file. Donors may indicate the beginning and end date of the pledge. MATCHING GIFTS • Many companies match or multiply charitable contributions made by their employees. Be sure to check with your personnel office about your company’s matching gift policy, and please provide our Development Office with necessary forms in order to maximize your support for The Academy.
PLEDGES • Donors may make pledges to the Annual Fund. Pledges must be paid by June 30th, the end of the fiscal year.
GIFTS OF APPRECIATED SECURITIES • To make a gift of stock to The Academy, please have your broker contact The Academy’s Business Office for instructions about transferring the shares directly to our brokerage account. Stock gifts to The Academy are tax deductible.
GIFTS BY MAIL • You may mail your gift to us at: The Academy at Charlemont Development Office, The Mohawk Trail, 1359 Route 2, Charlemont, MA 01339
For more information about giving toThe Academy at Charlemont, please contact the Development Office at the address above. You may reach us by phone at 413-339-4912 or by email at developmentoffice@charlemont.org
The Academy at Charlemont gratefully acknowledges the following donors for their voluntary contributions to our Annual Fund during the 2020-2021 fiscal year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). Donors are listed in the following categories: Headmaster’s Circle ($5,000 and above), Founder’s Society ($2,500 - $4,999), Charlemont Society ($1,000 - $2,499), Patrons ($500- $999), Scholars ($100 - $499) and Friends (up to $99).
Heads’ Circle
($5,000 and above)
Anonymous
Horace and Shirley Burrington
Carol and Mort Corwin GP19, 22
Judy Grunberg GP20, 27
Jennifer and Brian Hoffman P27
Marc Fromm and Beth Sperry P11, 14, 19
David and Jodi Howe P21
Megan Kendrick ’99 and Brian Murphy
Cornelia Kittler
Susan and Arthur Leeds
Maud O. Merton
Charlotte Meryman and Benjamin Thompson P09, 12
Cornelia and Wallis Reid P01
Jennifer Rosner and Bill Corwin P19, 22
Susan and Michael Slowinski P98, 00, 01
MassMutual Matching Gift Program
Founder’s Society
($2,500 - $4,999)
Mr. Jim Schaefer
Charlemont Society
($1,000 - $2,499)
Anonymous
Verne and Gail Bissell
Nicholas Boillot and Jennifer Cody P24
Dane Boryta ’84 and Liz Ferro
Sheila and Scott Crofts P24
Noah Grunberg and Janet Mullen P20, 27
Judy Haupt P97
Dr. & Mrs. Paul Hoffman GP27
Nancy Malina
Thomas McCrumm P97
Abel McDonnell '03
Stuart Mieher P13, 15
Theresa Ruggiero P19
Jaka ’90 and Gadi Saarony
Deborah Shriver P03
Oliver '88 and Toni Stebich
Sawyer Thompson ’12
Jennifer Washburn Tilley ’87
Patrons
($500- $999)
Joan and Edgardo Bianchi P09
M. Jennifer Bloxam P10
Paul and Amy Catanzaro P21
Nathaniel Cohen and Jody DeMatteo P13
Kerlin Conyngham
Jody Cutler & Liisa Tikkala P26
Drs. Sean ’88 and Jessica Dacus
Shoshana ’87 and Brantner Deatley P23
Claire DiLeo ’15
Peter Engelman and Kendall Clark P13, 15
Zachary T. Julius, CEO, PDI
Bruce Lessels and Karen Bloom P14
Sabine and Michael Mauri P21
Steve Mauri and Debra Patskowski
Mary Anne Schiff GP23
Peter Stevens and Linn Bower
Paul and Dagmar Tobits
Elinor Todd ’93 and Michael Beach
Sandra Warren
Sara Wein and Neal Anderson P16
Scholars ($100 - $499)
Anonymous (4)
Joanne Bourbeau and George Adair P23
David Adie P08, 12
Kim Alexander
Kathleen Alford ’07
Cynthia and Shawn Allen P13
Katherine Anderson ’16
Glenn and Heidi Arnold P13
Carey C. Baldwin ’98
Robert Balkind
Britt Banks
Mr. Alfred Barkan GP13
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bartlett P07, 10
Nora ’00 and Synphany Bates Zale
Cassandra Bigelow ’16
Diane and Ken Bigelow P14, 16, 21
Mr. Paul Breault
Tracie and Koren Butler-Kurth P23
Jill and Robert Cahn GP24
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Caldwell III GP13, 15
Carly L. Carey ’05
William Chester GP07, 10
Meg and Keith Clark P21
Nicholas Clark ’21
Jesse Cohen ’13
Rebecca Cooper ’08
Duke Corliss P19
Jayne and Robert Dane
Bartlett M. Doty ’00
Leanne and Ed Dowd P13
Linda Driscoll and Nelson Shifflett P88
Aethena Enzer-Mahler ’00
Michael and Joanna Evans
Martha and Gary Evans GP23
Jeremy Finer ’93
Herbert and Christine Forgey P01
Don and Margaret Freeman
Martha MacLeish Fuller and Herbert H. Fuller
Virginia Gabert ’84
Neale and Christina Gay
Jessica and Adam Gibb-Buursma P21, 23
Pat and Tom Glennon GP22
Daniel Goleman GP17, 19
Jane and Stephen Grant P92, 94, 96
Mike Grinley and Dana Stiepock P23
Colin Grinnell ’12
Grace Hall ’12
Ellen Harder GP26
Tupshin Harper ’90
Jason Healy ’96
Jane Hovde
Margaret and Ching-fen Hsiao GP24
Ken and Laura Huff GP18, 19
Jaimye Ingraham P08, 12
Rachael Ingraham ’03
Shelley Borror Jackson
Petra Jaros ’04 and Anna Leue ’02
David Jaros ’90
Phyllis Keyes
Christy Knox and Peter Feitner P14, 18
Zachary Kolodin ’03 and Hilary Doe
Carla LaGrassa
Thomas and Nancy Leue P96, 04
Brendan Levine ’01
Julie Lineberger and Joseph Cincotta P04, 08
Christine Lioce P15
Michael Lioce Jr. GP15
Sally Loomis and Paul Jahnige P16, 24
John and Pauline MacLean P89, 92
Simon MacLean ’92 and Jessica Striebel MacLean
Robert Mahler and Lisa Enzer P00
Douglas Mason and Nina Marshall P27
Tara Mason and Edward Whitaker P25
Mac McCoy and Polly Byers P15
Emma McGowan ’06
Jessamy McKay Ackerman ’89
Jacqueline McLaughlin and John Bride GP17, 19
Jen and Doug McVey P23
William Melnick ’10
Rachel Merrell
Craig Miller P13
Varis Mohler ’00
Lane Moore ’20
Amy and Ben Murray P26
Zoe A. Neeley ’13
Murray and Janice Newman
Gary and Deborah Niswonger P90, 92
Jeff Novick
Cassie Nylen Gray ’93
Connor O'Brien ’17
Maureen E. Oakes ’98
Charles Parham and Roxanne Schneider P11
Alice Parker
Sara Pedrosa ’96
Emma Picardi ’13
Zoe Plakias ’04
Thomas Por GP23, 25
Pamela Porter and Brian DeVriese
Julian Post ’07
Elizabeth Purington ’14
Stephanie and David Purington P11, 14
Kate Putnam and Tim Delany P10
Patricia Rapinchuk GP10, 16
Charlotte Rea and Robert Fricker
Simon Reid ’01
Wesley Rosner ’86
Robert Rottenberg P93, 11
Julie Russillo
John and Angela Schatz ’01
Mary and Joe Schatz
Ryan Schiff and Rebecca Houlihan P23
Lauren Schmidt
Katja Schneider ’12
Margaret Seiler and Leonard Melnick P10
Phoebe Shaw and David Chase P20, 22
Ingrid Shockey P11, 14
Elizabeth Slowinski ’98
Mac Snodgrass and E nedina Garcia Snodgrass
Pamela Stewart
Bob and Virginia Stiepock GP23
Todd Sumner and Mark Melchior P04
Kipp ’90 and Esterlina Sutton
Vicki Sutton P90
Nicholas Taupier ’05
John Thayer and Natalie Rioux P17
Martha and Ted Tirk P07
Emily Todd ’85 and Liam Harte
Yangchen Tsemtso Sithir ’02
Tobey Ward ’00
Amy H. Waterman Mason ’98 and Josh Mason
Clare and Richard Watkin P27, 25
Guy and Debbie Wheeler P97
Leah Wiedmann Gailey ’93 and Christopher Gailey
Nina and Moishe Wurgaft P22
Masako Yanagita
Christopher Yoon ’08
William B. Zale ’06
Ellen M. Zale P00, 06
Peter and Melanie Zschau P98
Friends (up to $99)
Isabelle Allen ’13
Russell Allen ’15
Marco Almeida
Jeannie Bartlett ’10
Eliza Bigelow ’21
Mackenzie Brown ’11
Johnstone Campbell GP23
Michael Catanzaro Sr. GP21
Eli Catanzaro ’21
Karen Chase Graubard GP 20, 22
Peter and Suzanne Chornyak P01, 03
Sophia Corwin ’19
Barbara and Norman Cover
Ella Deters ’18
Linda DiDonato GP26
Molly and Bradley Duncan
Waverley Engelman ’13
Elizabeth and Tony Falco
Karina Feitner ’14
Alan and Betsy Fraker P04
Martha and Newton Frohlich GP22
Allen Gabriel ’16
Astranada Gamsey and Bertrand Boudier P27
Talia Gee
Wendy and Christopher Giard GP04
Elaina Gibb-Buursma ’21
Claire Gibree ’09
Lila Goleman ’19
Eva Gray ’16
Elizabeth Grybko P03, P06
Carly Hall ’15
Ana Maria Harkins and Jonathan Secor P16, 19
Lisa Harvey and Jonathan Ginzberg P14
Jonathan and Elizabeth Healy
Scott Hoffman
Gwendolyn Howe ’21
Bi-sek Hsiao and Donald Shelton P23
Mary Irwin and Jack Harrison P11
Jenny Jaros Friedl ’88 and Lawrence Friedl
Kimberly Karlin
Andrea and John Keins P15, 21
Julian Keins ’21
Ken Kipen
Rabbi Raquel Kosovske and Rabbi David Seidenberg P23
Duncan and Meg Laird P20
Jerry Levine and Julie McCarthy P01
Isabel Infield ’19
Jampa Lobsang P11
Annabelle Mauri ’18
Wendy McClary and Eugene Friesen P10, 12
William Miller
David Miller
Jennifer and Alfred Mitchell P18, 22
Frederick Moss
Drew Newcomb
Sarah Noble-Dziura ’10
Jeffrey L. O'Brien
Joanne O'Connell GP23, 25
Tor Olsson ’21
Katharine Overgaard ’06
Sal Pace GP15
Sarah J. Peck ’03 and Sean Morrison
Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh ’07
Matthew Plager ’16
Stephanie Powers P19
Monica Pulci and Daniel
Delesdernier P15, 16
Will Purington ’11
Gloria Jean Purinton
Ilene and Terry Rosenfeld GP20
Lynda Schmidt
Christina Secor ’16
Winder and Dickson Smith GP23
Hannah Smith ’06
Leni Sperry-Fromm ’19
Kathleen Strachota ’20
Eric and Mary Sumner
Rick Taupier and Beth Haggerty P03, 05
Chris Thomas
Madeline Thompson ’09
Susan and Charles Titus
Ana Toth and Dave Cahn P24, 27
Henry Walker-West ’17
Eric and Elise Neumann ’03
Laurie Wheeler ’82
Priscilla White P86, 04
Marjorie Winfrey ’98
Tracy Zafian and David Schmidt P23
Matching Gifts, Foundations, and Grants
Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation, Inc. Google, Inc.
Johnson Scholarship Foundation
LEGO Community Fund US MassMutual, Inc.
Network For Good Select Equity Foundation, Inc.
Tribute and Memorial Gifts
Gifts in Honor:
Academy Staff and Teachers: 2008-2021
Ken & Diane Bigelow P14, 16, 21
"All of you!"
Tor Olsson ’21
Ole Brenizer ’25
Jacquelyn McLaughlin and John Bride
Class of 2020
Jessica and Adam Gibb-Buursma
Corwin Family
Balkind Family, Britt Banks
Asher EM Frigard
Robert Mahler and Lisa Enzer P00
Dianne Grinnell
Todd Sumner and Mark Melchoir
Sabine Mauri P18, 21
Annabelle Mauri ’18
Steve "Morgo" Morganelli and "Simon," my egg which turned 35 this year.
David Jaros ’90
Grayson Rizzi ’18
Jennifer and Alfred Mitchell P18, 22
John Schatz
Shelley Borror Jackson
The Vermont Carpool
Jennifer and Alfred Mitchell P18, 22
Gifts in Memory:
Rhoda Barkan GP13 and Sussane
Barkan P13
Alfred Barkan GP13
Liz Hobbs
Laurence & Susan Flaccus
David Howland
Bill Corwin & Jennifer Rosner P19, 22
Zephyr Rapinchuk ’10
Margaret Seiler and Leonard Melnick ’10
Wendy McClary and Eugene Friesen P10, 12
Herr Bernhard Witt GP21
Steve Mauri and Debra Patskowski
As of June 30, 2021 the following donors have made their legacy giving intentions known to The Academy. We are grateful for their forward-thinking commitment to our mission.
Anonymous (3)
Loren Cole and Jason Cooper P08
Carlotta Crissey Chandler
Jayne and Robert Dane
Don and Margaret Freeman
Eric* and Dianne Grinnell
Ernest Hofer*
Mr. William Hoth*
John Brace Latham*
Elisabeth Leete*
Mrs. Rolf Merton*
Cornelia and Wallis Reid P01
Jennifer Rosner and Bill Corwin P19, 22
Todd Sumner P04
Bruce Lessels and Karen Bloom P14
*deceased
