Far Brook Bulletin Spring 2016

BULLETIN VOLUME XXXI ISSUE II

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SPRING 2016

OVERTURES

envy the children on the new playground. They’re frolicking, giddy with the shiny novelty of it all, the delicious challenge of mastering the strange shapes and unexpected levels, so entranced by the joy of the now. They can’t help but imagine the possibilities.

Walking towards Moore Hall, the newest buildings emerge in my peripheral vision and I feel the expanse of the courtyard; a little jolt runs through me, the mini-shock of the not quite familiar. Beautiful, but strange. Behind me, the yelps and shrieks of the fearless playground sprites hang in the warm breeze, and I am filled with hope.

It’s the season of new beginnings. Little buds are sprouting all over campus, reaching, always reaching, but firmly rooted in the earth. And I’m so grateful that at Far Brook, our children feel free to fly, knowing that no matter how it may change, they have a safe place to land. A home.

Hope Chernov

Hudson, Kindergarten

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OUR PLAYGROUND

By CHARLIE MILLER ’81

Y

ou never heard the story of Bear? Well, I suppose I’m not surprised. Most folks nowadays probably never heard of him. Bear, that is what we called him for he had no name, roamed the forest in the area that is now Tall Pine Lane and Pond View Court. In those days, the woods went back on both sides of the campus for what looked to us like miles. It was obvious to every child on the playground that those were eerie woods. If you dared venture into those woods, well, you might never come back. And in those woods lived Bear. Bear…was…

HUGE. He had thick, curly black hair, a stubby tail, and a bark that would make your blood run cold. We all knew to never, EVER go into the woods, but if you had to, well, never, EVER let Bear catch you. Yes, Bear was a dog, a loyal and gentle pet belonging to a family living nearby, but to us Bear was a ruthless predator, roaming the woods in search of foolish Far Brook children who dared step foot into his territory.

Isabella, Nursery

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Maceo, Second Grade

Back then during recess, we reveled in the rare, crucial moments when a ball was kicked wayward into those woods and needed retrieving. The rescue expedition was meticulously and strategically planned: two kids would climb the green metal rocket-shaped jungle gym that was at least 27 feet high (or so it seemed to us); once the lookouts on the jungle gym gave the ‘all clear,’ the kid responsible for sending the ball out of bounds and over the fence carefully climbed through the open slats and gingerly stepped into the heart of darkness. Two steps, three steps, sometimes even four were braved. Then, out of nowhere the beast charged, and the lookouts screamed, “It’s Bear! It’s Bear! RUN!” spurring our brave comrade back, pale as a ghost and gripping the ball with white knuckles, Bear’s barks pushing him faster until he reached the fence and, diving through the slats, over into the safety of the Far Brook playground. Another perilously close call, another successful rescue.

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For us, the Far Brook playground was an enormous, beckoning landscape where time and space ceased to exist and where we were bound only by our imagination.

Where the Middle School and Administration buildings currently stand, there was a bulkhead, which stood atop a slope leading down to the lower paddock that housed Champ, Brandy, and Cocoa, the resident horse, pony, and donkey. (There were also a couple of sheep, the names of which now escape me.) The trees hid campus from the street and created an extended area for hide and seek. On the other side of the paddock (what is now Tall Pine Lane) another steep hill dotted with impenetrable pricker bushes formed small caves through which we’d crawl. And at the very top of the playground, looking down upon what is now the parking lot, sat a red observation deck on which we played Red Rover, Red Rover, and Red Light, Green Light; the deck also provided a fireman’s pole that allowed us fleet transport to the ground below. This was our whole world: climbing the rocket in the fall, sledding down the hill in the winter, playing on the red deck, and feeding the animals whenever we could.

Saaliha, Fourth Grade

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Later in life, a wise man told me that children learn through play. Just last year, I asked some Third Graders to share the games with me from their playground. “I like climbing up the wooden structure,” one girl said. “I like hide and seek,” said another. I watched children kick a ball at a goalie below the Nursery windows, while others were on the swings, pumping their legs to reach extraordinary heights. Some played tag, running as fast as they could in pursuit of fleeing friends. Joyous howls filled the air. “Don’t fall!” “Don’t let go!” What did these children envision below when they flew through space on the zip lines? Were they hundreds of feet in the air? Were they crossing fields of molten lava?

Clearly, to let go was unthinkable; they MUST hold on.

Rebecca, Nursery

Passed down from the founding parents and woven into the fabric of Far Brook itself is the unspoken knowledge that a child’s imagination is the real world, while adults simply wander through a not-nearly-as-interesting dream. By the time this Bulletin reaches our mailboxes, the new playground will be in full use.

Imaginations once again run wild; our children venture into the wilds of deep forests, or traipse across molten fields of lava, or scale majestic mountains. The games may change and the jungle gyms may transform, but laughter and adventure will continue to fill the air on our playground.

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ADVENTURES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL: s.t.e.a.m.

(OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE Prosthetics) By hope cHERNOV

“F

ish got to swim and birds got to fly,” at least that’s what the old song says, but what happens if a fish is missing its tail? Or a bald eagle’s beak is shattered by a bullet, rendering her unable to eat or preen?

Champ the corgi needs a life vest (what dog doesn’t?) and Peanut the elephant was born with part of her front leg missing. Never fear, Far Brook Middle School to the rescue! Students in Grades Four, Five, and Six exchanged their regular schedules for a week of project-based, interdisciplinary STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics) activities, focusing on challenges in biomedical engineering.

Far Brook partnered with i2 Learning to create a fun and engaging curriculum.

Working in small, mixed-grade groups, students were called upon to design, build, test, and refine prosthetic devices for both animals and humans, using little more than masking tape, cardboard, rubber bands, yarn, straws, and foam. Our budding engineers got to apply their STEAM skills in solving real-world problems while gaining first-hand awareness of some of the incredible innovations possible in STEAM professions.

Here are some of the sketches and designs that were produced during this exciting, week-long immersion.

William, Sixth Grade

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Grace, Sixth Grade

Ryan, Sixth Grade

Brynne, Fourth Grade

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Will, Fifth Grade

REFLECTIONS FROM THE EIGHTH GRADE parents Spring and the approaching summer naturally find us looking back on the moments and events that made the school year special, but for some, it is particularly nostalgic. As the Eighth Grade parents watch their children – now young adults – prepare to embark on new adventures in high school, they shared several treasured memories from their time at Far Brook. ***

J

ason was in First Grade and loved to watch the Junior High boys play sports.

He couldn't wait to have his turn to play on a Far Brook team. One day during baseball season, Greg gave him a jersey and let him sit on the bench with the team for the game. It was so sweet and completely captured the Far Brook spirit. It is amazing how the older students and younger students create such a bond with each other and how the teachers facilitate these experiences. Such a special place!

Stacey Strollo

Atticus, Nursery

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M

y nineteenth year as a Far Brook parent is certainly an appropriate time for reflection. We have come full circle as a Far Brook family as our youngest son, Nick, completes his final year as a student and our oldest son, Alex, completes his first as a member of the faculty. Watching the two of them go off to school together each morning fills my heart with profound joy and deep satisfaction. The bonds my three sons share (the middle one is currently a college sophomore) have been strengthened by the fact that they have innumerable common experiences at Far Brook and therefore share a common language and understanding. Each has progressed through years of Thanksgiving Processionals, each has risen from a ‘guided and supported’ Lower School student to a ‘guiding and supporting’ Junior High student. Each has experienced the fun and challenges of Medieval Feasts, Greek Olympics, Sports Days, numerous dramatic and choral productions, woodshop projects, learning to play handbells, years of Far Brook athletic competitions on the baseball and soccer field and, of course, countless Morning Meetings. Finally, as Nick approaches graduation, each will have played a part in bringing A Midsummer Night’s Dream to life.

This year’s Thanksgiving Processional was especially meaningful. Although I had expected to shed many tears, I was instead filled with appreciation, understanding, and gratitude as I watched each student process slowly and deliberately toward the harvest altar, each fully present in the moment, mindful of his or her role individually and as part of the larger Far Brook community. It was at that moment that the significance of the Far Brook experience fully came into focus for me. While Far Brook endeavors to help students develop as individuals, cultivating strengths and assisting with challenges, Far Brook also ensures that its students understand that they are an integral part of something larger than themselves, which carries with it both privileges and responsibilities. This is the most essential common experience that each of my sons has integrated into the very fiber of his being, and one which will profoundly impact each of them as individuals, as brothers, and as citizens of the world community for the rest of their lives.

Joyce Baldinucci

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I

t was my son Jason’s first day at Far Brook. When he arrived home that afternoon, I asked him, “How did it go? How did you like it?” He replied, “I love that school; they let us play with saws!” I still think about that and it still makes me laugh.

Stefanie Johnson

James, Second Grade

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D

uring the winter months of Annie’s first few years at Far Brook, snow gear and sleds were brought to school and outside playtime meant fun in the snow! Annie entered Far Brook in the First Grade and her teacher, Joan Angelo, had a particular affinity for the winter weather. For Annie and her classmates, Joan’s enthusiasm added to the excitement of snow falling on the campus at Far Brook.

As the years moved along and expectations at Far Brook changed, Annie had new gear to bring along with her at the start of each day: a field hockey stick and uniform in the fall, a lacrosse stick and cleats in the spring.

Music and song have been intertwined with all of Annie’s days at Far Brook, in winter, spring, summer, and fall. During Morning Meeting, specific songs would be chosen to accompany the season; as the leaves turned color, she joined her classmates in “Brown Leaves of Autumn,” and during the winter months, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” was a particular favorite.

Now about to complete Eighth Grade, Annie and her classmates are singing new songs: they stand at a crossroads, knowing that they will soon graduate and explore new horizons. They will learn new skills, while also expanding upon the rich Far Brook education that they have been so fortunate to experience.

These things and so much more have been part of Annie’s Far Brook journey.

Snow pants and mittens, cleats and sticks, music, and more music.

Rachel Pasternak

Jakob, First Grade

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: ED SOLECKI

By KATE HEWITT

“G

ladly would he learn, and gladly teach.” While these words describe the Clerk in The Canterbury Tales, they are also an apt description of the man who studied Chaucer in graduate school and inspired his first class of Sixth Graders to adapt “The Pardoner’s Tale” for their class play. Ed Solecki has been learning and teaching at Far Brook since 1980, inviting students to join him in a great conversation about history and literature.

Education truly is a conversation to Ed — he views his teaching as a collaborative dialogue with his students. Ed believes that “knowledge is socially constructed and we all gain a deeper understanding through discussion.” He is eager to come back every fall to learn from a new group of students, who bring fresh insights and perspectives about even those books or poems he has read many times before.

While Ed initially went to graduate school planning to become a college professor, he is delighted that he has ended up teaching at the junior high level. Ed cherishes the opportunity to help encourage young adolescents’ development of more abstract critical-thinking skills: “At this age, things are not black and white; they are more complex, and kids are eager to go after that.”

Cole P, Third Grade

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Ed reminisced recently about some of his early impressions of Far Brook, remembering how inspired he was by the faculty he met on his first visit to campus. “Eddie Finckel, Mary Adams, Anne Seeley, Bill Johnson — these were people who really knew their areas, really cared about kids, and had this vision that education is more than just filling empty vessels.” As his colleagues and students can attest, Ed himself has become one of these iconic and transformational educators in his 36 years at Far Brook. In fact, while Ed told me with his trademark eloquence about how he loves to watch Far Brook’s students “grow up with Shakespeare,” all I could think about was how Ed has also “grown up” with Far Brook in so many ways.

Ed estimates that he has experienced almost 6,000 Morning Meetings so far, and yet they never get old for him.

“They feed my own curiosity,” he explains. He sits down every morning with a sense of anticipation, wondering, “What will I hear? What will I learn?”

Many of us look forward to Ed’s Morning Meetings of beautifully curated poems and think of him as Far Brook’s resident poetry guru, but poetry was “not always on the top of my list,” Ed says. “Poetry came to me through Far Brook. It was hearing poetry again and again in Morning Meeting. Over the years, it’s become more of a passion.”

Michael, Kindergarten

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Now, on Ed’s nightstand you can find not only poems by Emily Dickinson but also books that show the wide range of his interests: Elena Ferrante’s award-winning Neapolitan Novels, Flann O’Brien’s modernist masterpiece At Swim-Two-Birds, poet Donald Hall’s ruminative Essays After Eighty, and Carl Honoré’s incisive In Praise of Slowness. Ed believes that “one of the reasons Far Brook is effective in educating kids is that teachers are learners here as well.” Anyone who has had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with Ed about education, history, or literature (and especially someone who, like me, has had the great privilege of co-teaching with Ed) can vouch that he lives this creed. “It’s not just lip service — that’s how it feels. I learn something at Far Brook every day.”

Lulu, Kindergarten

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Stabat mater, a far brook tradition By hope chernov

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ecently I sat down with Allen Artz to talk about Stabat Mater, one of Far Brook’s long-held and beloved music Traditions. Mr. Artz had promised me 30 precious minutes of his time; we ended up talking for over an hour before he had to dash off to teach, and in that time we discussed everything from his childhood in the coal-mining region of Pennsylvania, to his first years of teaching at Far Brook, to his impending retirement, and of course, Stabat Mater. It was freewheeling and exhilarating – as are most interactions with Far Brook’s Director of Music – but he always circled back to his love of music, the desire to share his passion with students, and the pride he takes in having been part of the Far Brook community for 26 years.

Stabat Mater is a thirteenth-century medieval poem set to music by many composers. Perhaps the most celebrated version is by Giovanni Pergolesi, composed in the mid-eighteenth century. Far Brook Music Director Edwin Finckel introduced Pergolesi’s Stabat to the School in 1964, and Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders have performed it every year since. I wondered how Mr. Artz felt about taking on the Stabat mantle after Mr. Finckel’s departure and what he’s learned after having performed it so many times.

“When I first came to Far Brook, Mr. Finckel had already established Stabat as a Tradition, with a capital T.” He continued, “He loved the purity of the voices and the short and varied movements that provided wonderful solo opportunities for the choir.” I asked Mr. Artz if he agreed with this assessment, and his eyes lit up.

“Absolutely! The music is transcendent, and the structure and degree of difficulty is perfect for Far Brook students.”

I wondered how today’s preteens could find relevance in performing a thirteenthcentury poem put to eighteenth-century music and in Latin no less. Mr. Artz did not hesitate. “We are not just singing the music,” he said. “We are examining the history, the cultural context, the very meaning, how it all fits together. Like everything at 15

Far Brook, it is a living, breathing part of the larger curriculum, and as they practice, students begin to make these very important connections.”

Aimee, Seventh Grade

But Mr. Artz is adamant that the value of music and performance is that it is neither didactic nor is it an exercise in academia.

“Music opens the pores,” he said, “It is experiential, for both performer and audience. When students come to the stage, they bring with them every part of their being; they have not only internalized the music, they have practiced concert etiquette,

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making eye contact, proper carriage, self-discipline. They’re taking a great risk, and when they are successful, they feel a sense of having conquered something very difficult. It’s a feeling that expands and nourishes them, and it’s something they will carry throughout their lives.”

My Sixth Grade daughter experienced her first Stabat Mater this past March; watching her perform, it occurred to me that she and her classmates will do this twice more, and in each subsequent year they will delve deeper into the music, discover more nuances, perform with more confidence and clarity than perhaps the year before. Mr. Artz likens this process to peeling back the layers of an onion.

“When we practice and repeat and reexamine our Traditions, we find unique depth; as a result, we come closer to the true essence of whatever it is we are doing, whether it’s Thanksgiving Processional or Morning Meeting or Stabat Mater.”

I asked Mr. Artz if he thought the Stabat Tradition would continue after he retires. “Oh I hope so,” he said, and I detected a trace of melancholy in his voice.

“Sometimes I fear that as a culture, we are getting pulled too quickly away from our past, our traditions. Far Brook is unique because we are doing music like Stabat Mater, music of that quality and difficulty, that has important cultural and historical significance. It’s necessary. It feeds the soul.”

Caius, Third Grade

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Just outside his office, students began to file into the classroom. Mr. Artz excused himself but implored me to stay and watch the Upper School students rehearse songs for what will be his final Spring Choral Concert. He then made his way down to the piano and held up one hand. A hush came over the room. All eyes were on him, including mine, as he played the opening notes of “The Road Not Taken.” The students sang out, encouraged by their teacher’s passion and enthusiasm.

I left the room, their voices echoing in my ears. I thought of something Mr. Artz had told me moments earlier. He had come to Far Brook knowing very little about poetry, and in fact, somewhat confounded by it; but in hearing poetry read aloud so often in Morning Meeting, his appreciation grew. He gestured to a shelf in his office that was lined with poetry books. “I learned to love poetry here. I learn something every day here.” He then took a dog-eared copy of The Roots of Excellence from his desk, written by Far Brook founding director Winifred Moore. Its pages were full of handwritten notes, asterisks, underlined phrases, and exclamation points. He pointed to a quote that holds particular meaning for him, and read it to me.

“Discipline + Poetry = Far Brook.”

Thank you, Mr. Artz, for your poetry and your discipline, and for the indelible imprint you leave on the Far Brook community.

Jason J., Eighth Grade

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Fun and enrichment after hours: far brook’s after-school program

By Jody miller and Jacob waldor ’13

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t’s Thursday afternoon at 4 o’clock. The school day is officially over, but the Far Brook campus is buzzing with activity. While a basketball game replete with bounding leaps, assists, and jump shots rages joyfully in the gym, five students sit in a circle in the Junior High French classroom, poised with knitting needles. “Can you teach me how to do the fisherman’s rib stitch?” one asks. Meanwhile, in the Nursery classroom, a magic show is unfolding. One young illusionist makes an ordinary cup fly, another employs sleight of hand to make a Q-tip disappear, and yet another makes everyone in the room disappear. Clearly these students have heeded their teacher’s sage advice: Do the trick only once, remain in character, never reveal the truth, and keep the audience at a distance. Welcome to After-School Enrichment at Far Brook School.

Ashley, Fifth Grade

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There was a time, almost a decade ago, when Far Brook’s extended-day offerings were limited to supervised play and homework help in the Segal Family Library.

Homework Club/Library Time is still appreciated by students of all ages; but as demand for more varied and interesting options increased, Far Brook answered the call by enlisting intrepid sports teacher Greg Bartiromo to design and implement a full-fledged enrichment program. With the assistance of Sixth Grade associate teacher Mona Boewe, the program has evolved and expanded so that it now counts half of all students from Kindergarten to Grade Four as regular participants.

The After-School Program today boasts unique and varied offerings that appeal to everybody: for kids needing to burn off some energy at the end of the day, there’s Dodgeball and Team Sports, Taekwondo, Music and Movement, and Hip Hop, Zumba & Yoga; those more inclined toward arts and crafts can choose from Knitting and Ewe, Chef’s Club, and Art Explorations; builders and discoverers can opt for Lego Masters and Ooey Gooey Science; and, of course, there’s Magic Tricks and More, taught by Far Brook Nursery teacher and stalwart Bill Deltz, who brings fun, creativity, and a bit of magic to everything he touches.

The enrichment classes of the After-School Program are offered to students up to Grade Four, yet they are not the only ones who benefit. Seventh and Eighth Graders are encouraged to join the Junior High Mentor Program, where they assist directly in the enrichment classrooms. Older students learn responsibility and leadership, younger students treasure spending time with and emulating their elders, and teachers can avail themselves of much-appreciated help.

After-School opportunities do not end there for Upper School Far Brookers. Ski Club, established in 2009, whisks participants off every Friday during the winter months to Shawnee Mountain Ski Area for an afternoon on the slopes. They can also now join the first-ever Far Brook basketball teams, coached by Sports Teacher Jen Semioli, who played at Duke University and professionally in Sweden, then coached at Princeton University.

Finally, students in Grades Six, Seven, and Eight develop leadership and advocacy skills when they take part in Girls Learn International (GLI), a nationwide organization that helps girls all over the world gain access to education. The GLI 20

chapter at Far Brook provides students with opportunities to connect with each other as well as with other area middle and high school students, while developing a collective voice in the movement for universal education.

The After-School Program at Far Brook has become so much more than just ‘childcare.’ Students have diverse and interesting activities from which to choose, and parents have peace of mind with no extra driving required. Truly, an enriching experience for all.

Ava, First Grade

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A celebration of all things far brook

By Hope Chernov

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Far Brook stalwart is honored, the gift of a restored vintage Steinway piano is anointed, and the prodigious talents of Far Brook music faculty and friends are displayed for all to relish. Sounds like just another day at Far Brook, but the occasion was Chamber Music and Chocolates, a glorious afternoon of music — and yes, chocolate — as envisioned and brought to dazzling life by the talented and tireless Erasmia Voukelatos, Lower School music teacher.

Held just as Valentine’s Day approaches, Chamber Music and Chocolates benefits Far Brook’s Music and Instrument Fund, an ongoing project that provides funding for musical instruments, financial aid for music lessons, and special music projects. This day’s program, Piano in Perspectives, was exceptional in that it served not only to introduce the recently acquired Steinway, but also to pay tribute to Far Brook’s beloved Carol Sargent, who retires after 34 years of dedicated service to our community. How fitting to honor Carol with some of the glorious musical legacy that she worked so diligently to help create.

Annika, First Grade

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Among the afternoon’s myriad highlights were Head of School Amy Ziebarth’s heartfelt and moving words of thanks to Ms. Sargent; a rhapsodic performance of Beethoven’s Appassionata sonata; a virtuoso rendering of Vivaldi’s Summer concerto; and a teenage boy’s soulful jazz piano rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that brought the audience to its feet (and this parent to tears).

Erasmia, curator extraordinaire, was rarely absent from the stage. Her stirring solo piano performance of Brahms’s Rhapsody in B Minor was followed by collaborations with fellow Far Brook colleagues, flautist Laura Karel George, cellist Daryl Goldberg, violinist Milan Milinkovic, pianist Paul DiDario, clarinetist William Shadel and timpanist Glen Fittin. The sounds of Britten, von Weber, Schumann and Schubert filled the air. A selection of lieder sung by guest baritone Jośe PietriCoimbre was followed by the delightful Trout piano quintet, featuring Far Brook parent and husband to Erasmia, violinist Ashley Horne.

But Chamber Music and Chocolates was more than performance; it was a powerful reminder that each school day, our children are blessed to be learning alongside such immensely talented, accomplished, and passionately caring artists and teachers. How fortunate we are to be counted among this community and to share in the commitment to the “power of the arts in the learning process,” as put forth in Far Brook’s Statement of Purpose.

Did I mention the chocolates? A bounty of cocoa-inspired confections, among them hundreds of chocolate hand-dipped strawberries, dainty lavender and sea-salt laced squares – courtesy of Far Brook parent volunteers – as well as cakes, cookies, candies, and good old Hershey’s Kisses, all enjoyed post-concert by attendees and musicians alike in Far Brook’s newly dedicated Music & Arts Building, a delicious ending to an inspiring, memorable day.

Isabel, Fourth Grade

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You are here: mystery class By mona boewe

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ow do you guess someone’s global position when you only know the time that the sun rises and sets? Just ask Far Brook Second and Sixth Graders; they’ll tell you that if you’re given about 10 weeks, plus the vernal equinox, you can do the sleuth work to find just about anyone.

A highlight of the Far Brook school year is the partnering that takes place between different grades.

Morning arrival finds Seventh Graders walking Nursery and Kindergarten students to their classrooms. Thanksgiving Processional provides almost every student an older or younger partner. As students journey through Far Brook, they remember their mentors and anticipate becoming leaders themselves.

Indie, Second Grade

The Sixth and Second Grades join forces each February, putting their geography, math, and science skills to the test for Mystery Class. The project is hosted by Journey North, an organization dedicated to engaging students in science. Ten locations around the world are chosen, their geographical locations hidden; for 10 weeks, only their local sunrise and sunset times are revealed. Students everywhere are invited to track these times and begin globe hunting. Far Brook Sixth Graders sharpen their pencils to calculate the weekly increase or decrease in sunlight, while the Second Graders illustrate these changes in a colorful bar graph. They are then mixed and divided into 10 groups, each assigned one ‘mystery location,’ whereupon they begin calculating and marking their most educated guesses on the map.

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The month of March ushers in the vernal equinox; while the Second Graders file into Morning Meeting donning their bi-colored equinox headbands, the Sixth Graders carefully work out one final piece of information that can be calculated only when the sunlight falls equally everywhere on the planet. When the two Grades meet again with their equinox findings, they are given several ‘cultural clues’ that further help them pinpoint their mystery locations.

April finds Far Brook students officially submitting their answers to the Journey North website. In May, all locations are revealed, and the Sixth and Second Graders finally get to compare their results alongside other students across the country.

Ansel, Nursery

Each year, an incoming Sixth Grade student will inevitably ask, “Will we be doing Mystery Class?” (This past year the question came only 24 hours after the fresh school supplies were placed in desks and cubbies.) What the now older students remember from their Second Grade experience is that their partners carefully led them through the process, explaining concepts like military time, longitude, and latitude, and quizzing them on addition and subtraction. Now, they fall into their mentor roles with ease, excited for the challenge of the hunt and the chance to give Second Graders Mystery Class memories of their very own.

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A musical dream comes to Fruition By erasmia voukelatos

O

ne sunny afternoon last September, three husky men carefully rolled a bulky, cloth-draped object across Far Brook’s campus towards Moore Hall. Flooded with emotions and profound gratitude for this serendipitous moment, I remembered my dream, the seeds of which were sown when I arrived here nine years ago. Inspired by a Far Brook motto, “great works, models, and metaphors,” visible both in its Traditions and daily in the classrooms, the dream became reality on that bright fall day, with the delivery of a fully restored, vintage 1894 Steinway B piano.

This stunning instrument, hand manufactured over 100 years ago at the Steinway factory in Astoria, New York, has already produced the kind of magical moments that seems almost a routine part of our days at Far Brook. The School was treated to a ceremonious unveiling of the piano over the course of three Morning Meetings in October, where Mr. Artz, in appropriately dramatic fashion, wheeled the instrument from the corner, opened the lid and ‘discovered’ a scroll tied with a red bow. He unfurled and read the message, which credited the generous sponsor of our instrument, The Marjorie Bunnell Charitable Fund (named after long-time Passaic High School principal, Marjorie Bunnell), and introduced Foundation representative Don Strangfeld, who waved from the back of the room to warm applause.

The morning drew to a fitting close, with live music. Rarely does a performance feel so poignant that every note is imbued with emotional potency that overcomes both listener and performer. I will treasure in my memory the children’s hushed steps as they recessed to their classrooms and Mr. Strangfeld’s tears, as I threw myself into the beautiful Rhapsody in B Minor by the great Johannes Brahms.

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The following day, we welcomed Sujatri Reisinger, who has been rebuilding and restoring prized pianos at Klavierhaus in New York City since 1981. Mr. Reisinger pulled the entire piano action mechanism, or ‘action,’ from the piano – all 6,000+ parts – and carted it down the aisle to audible gasps. He spoke eloquently about music: “Sound comes from silence,” he said, “so we must first discover silence.” He then shared his mission to “uncover the soul” of each instrument by striving for the sound that reminds him most of his own mother’s voice.

Further insights and performances marked the third consecutive morning, courtesy of two ‘models’ well known to the Far Brook community: distinguished alumnus and cellist David Finckel ’67 and his wife, pianist Wu Han. Around here, David is known as the son of Edwin Finckel, Far Brook’s beloved Music Director (Emeritus) for 38 years, whose “Ladybug,” “Silly Song,” and “Earth Shall Yield” are among his many songs that continue to be part of our living musical canon.

Sawyer, Fourth Grade

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The formal welcome now over, the piano has settled into its new life, inspiring more moments grand and fleeting. Highlights for me: Third Grader Yuxin welcoming us to Morning Meeting with her sparkling Haydn Sonata; our cleaning company manager, Giovanni, pausing briefly from his work to listen to Mr. DiDario and me rehearse; 14-year-old prodigy Matthew Whitaker sharing his Braille scores and his passion for jazz piano and Xbox with Seventh Graders; students captivated by the living local history and technology of the Steinway factory as described in the documentary Note by Note, by Maplewood filmmaker Ben Niles; and, as you read earlier in this edition of the Bulletin, the piano as centerpiece for some wonderful chocolates! (Along with beautiful chamber music.)

Our Steinway piano embodies the words of Far Brook founding director Winifred Moore, who wrote in The Roots of Excellence, “Music is the spiritual fabric of Far Brook, unifying and sustaining the School with great quality.” May our new piano continue to inspire more “learning through the arts,” and help sustain the noble contributions of so many that have helped create Far Brook’s rich artistic and educational legacy. I look forward to a sublime and musical future.

Cole M, Third Grade

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Far brook bulletin flashback December 1985

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Sydney (Sto), Seventh Grade

Ryann, Fourth Grade

Kennedy, Fourth Grade

Reese, Seventh Grade

Lily, Seventh Grade

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Jimena, Fifth Grade

Far Brook Bulletin staff EDITORS

CONTRIBUTORS

Jennifer Barba

Mona boewe

Hope Chernov

Hope chernov Kate Hewitt

LAYOUT

Charlie miller ’81

Janice Cherkis

Jody miller Erasmia voukelatos

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTs

Jacob waldor ’13

Joan Burr Peggy Fawcett

Editor’s Note: We wish a happy retirement to Peggy Fawcett, our assiduous proofreader and indispensable member of the Bulletin staff. Farewell, dear, peace be with thee.

Printed on recycled paper

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Far Brook School 52 Great Hills Road Short Hills, New Jersey 07078

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID UNION, NJ 07083

(973) 379-3442 development@farbrook.org www.farbrook.org

PERMIT No. 473

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Inside this issue: Overtures

by Hope Chernov

1

Fun and Enrichment After Hours

by Jody Miller & Jacob Waldor ’13

19

Our Playground

by Charlie Miller ’81

2

A Celebration of All Things Far Brook

by Hope Chernov

22

Adventures in Middle School

by Hope Chernov

6

You Are Here: Mystery Class

24

Reflections

by Eighth Grade Parents

8

by Mona Boewe A Musical Dream Comes to Fruition

26

by Erasmia Voukelatos

Faculty Spotlight: Ed Solecki

by Kate Hewitt

12

Stabat Mater

by Hope Chernov

15

Far Brook Bulletin Flashback

by Kindergarten December 1985

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