Fenn 2013 Graduation

Graduation 2013 howery skies could not dampen the excitement of the sixty-one eighth and ninth graders who received their diplomas at the 84th Fenn School Graduation Exercises on June 7th.

As the Meeting Hall bell pealed, the graduates processed across the green and into the New Gym, where Headmaster Jerry Ward offered personal reflections of each student, singling him out for such traits as honesty, intellect, spirit, and enthusiastic commitment to Fenn life. Several prizes were awarded for excellence in character, service, academics, arts, athletics, and citizenship, with additional awards presented on Prize Day earlier that week.

The Fenn Band, which grew to record numbers this year, and the Treble Chorus performed. The outgoing school president and vice president addressed their classmates and teachers, staff members, families and friends, with President Gordon Hargraves urging fellow graduates “not to leave Fenn behind. Take the person that Fenn made you and bring him to your new school, and you will make it a better place.�

After the ceremony, the new graduates walked along the traditional receiving line so that faculty and staff members could wish them well.

This special online publication captures the highlights of Prize Day and Graduation and of the eighth and ninth grade celebration.

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AWARDS AND HONORS ach year, before diplomas are awarded at graduation, the headmaster presents, on behalf

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of the faculty, six prizes that recognize in different ways members of the eighth and

ninth grade classes for their exceptional character, effort, achievement, and growth, all

vital elements of a Fenn education. The recipients are chosen on the basis of recommendations and votes of the Fenn School faculty.

FACULTY PRIZE The Faculty Prize is Fenn’s highest honor. It recognizes a ninth grade student or students whose breadth, character, and consistency of involvement in the life of the school have best exemplified the faculty’s ideals for Fenn students. This year the Faculty Prize was conferred upon Michael D. Demsher, Jacob B. Goorno, William O. Haslett, and Odom K. Sam. Faculty Prize winners (left to right): Michael D. Demsher, Jacob B. Goorno, Odom K. Sam, and William O. Haslett

LOVEJOY PRIZE WALTER W. BIRGE III PRIZE FOR PHILANTHROPY AND SUPPORT OF THE FENN COMMUNITY Nominated by the faculty and selected by the headmaster, the recipient of the Birge Prize demonstrates qualities that were championed by Mr. Birge, Fenn’s fourth headmaster (1983-1993).

The prize recognizes one or more members of the ninth grade class who have continually distinguished themselves through their support of Fenn community service projects, their helpfulness to teachers, and their support of their peers.

The prize was awarded this year to Michael D. Demsher.

Michael D. Demsher, recipient of the Walter W. Birge III Prize 2

Created in 1998 by Trustee Emeritus Frederick H. Lovejoy Jr. ’51 and his family, the Lovejoy Prize honors a graduating eighth grade student or students whose exceptional character, effort, and achievement have so enriched the life of the school as to merit special recognition from the faculty upon their departure from Fenn. The prize is awarded only in years when there are students of extraordinary merit. This year the Lovejoy Prize was presented to three members of the Class of 2014: William R. Hrabchak, Joseph M. C. LaRocca, and Christopher J. Ruediger.

Receiving the Lovejoy Prize (left to right): Joseph M.C. LaRocca, Christopher J. Ruediger, and William R. Hrabchak

Biscoe Award winners (left to right): Luke J. Maguire Newman, Edward J. Fitzsimmons, and Mitchell M. Groves

MARK BISCOE AWARD Named for retired master teacher Mark Biscoe H’95, who gave thirty-six years of service to the school, the Mark Biscoe Award honors the extraordinary example that Mark set for his colleagues and students. The award is presented to a ninth grade student or students who, through their personal growth in their years at Fenn, have come to value and live out the ideals of school citizenship which Mr. Biscoe, as teacher and coach, inspired generations of Fenn students to embrace. This year the honor went to Edward J. Fitzsimmons, Mitchell M. Groves, and Luke J. Maguire Newman.

Dr. Samuel C. Fleming Award winners (left to right): Thomas B. Kaye, Leo J. Saraceno, and Nathan I. Winneg

DR. SAMUEL C. FLEMING MEMORIAL PRIZE Established by members of the Class of 1965 on the occasion of their 25th Fenn reunion, the Dr. Samuel C. Fleming Memorial Prize honors their classmate and friend who wore a “wonderful, ever-present smile.” The prize is awarded each year to an eighth or ninth grade student or students who merit recognition for determination and perseverance in meeting academic challenges, whose efforts never languished, and who contributed to the school through qualities of friendliness, unselfish conduct, and sensitivity and warmth to their classmates. This year the faculty honored eighth grader Thomas B. Kaye, and ninth graders Leo J. Saraceno and Nathan I. Winneg..

BURBANK PRIZE The Burbank Prize is awarded by the teacher-coaches of Fenn to those graduating athletes who have distinguished themselves through their generous and unselfish spirit, which fostered the success, happiness, and self-esteem of their teammates. This year the prize was awarded to Edward J. Fitzsimmons, John P. Hart, William O. Haslett, James L. Sanderson, and Leo J. Saraceno.

Recipients of the Burbank Prize (left to right): Edward J. Fitzsimmons, James L. Sanderson, Leo J. Saraceno, John P. Hart, and William O. Haslett

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AWARDS AND HONORS P.G. LEE MEMORIAL PRIZE Each year the P.G. Lee Memorial Prize is awarded at Prize Day to honor a member or members of the graduating class who contributed outstanding determination, hard work, positive spirit, and cheerfulness to their athletic teams. Established in memory of P.G. Lee ’87, the award honors the spirit of a boy who was a true competitor but is perhaps best remembered for “his smile and his ability to make people laugh, and the happiness he brought to people around him.” This year’s eighth and ninth graders voted to honor John P. Hart, Odom K. Sam, and James L. Sanderson. Leslie Warner, P.G. Lee’s mother, attended the Prize Day ceremony to congratulate the winners.

P.G. Lee Memorial Award winners with Leslie Warner (left to right): James L. Sanderson, John P. Hart, and Odom K. Sam

AUSTEN FOX RIGGS AWARD First awarded by the Class of 1951 as their parting gift to Fenn, the Austen Fox Riggs Award is given in memory of Austen, a Fenn student from the Class of 1955 who lost his life attempting to save his younger brother from drowning in the Concord River.

Determined by vote of the Lower School faculty, the award is given to the student or students who most resemble “Autie” in the helpful effort they contributed in work and in play. This year the Austen Fox Riggs Award was presented to fifth graders Oliver E. Cheever and Lucian W. Sharpe.

Winners of the Austen Fox Riggs Award (left to right): Oliver E. Cheever and Lucian W. Sharpe

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“You Can Take It With You”

by Gordon Hargraves ’13

“You taught us that if a job needs to be done we need to do it ourselves and not wait for someone to do it for us.”

Parents, siblings, relatives, and friends: hello and welcome to Fenn.

Fenn—the place that has been our home for years. With its white buildings, friendly students, and amazing faculty, Fenn is a community that we are proud to be a part of. I want to start off with some thank yous. First, to our teachers. You taught us much more than just lessons; you taught us how to be citizens. You taught us that if a job needs to be done we need to do it ourselves and not wait for someone to do it for us. And that we need to have perseverance and not give up.

Second, to the students. I want to thank not only all of you that I knew well but also all of you who would simply say hi to “Take the person me in the hallways. I have loved going to school with you every Fenn has made you day and I will miss you. Last, to the maintenance staff, who and bring it to your many times would go completely out of their way to help me.

It was really hard for me to write this speech because every new school.” time I would start I pictured myself speaking at graduation and knowing it would be the last mark I make at Fenn. That after the speech I would go home and wake up the next day not being able to go to the place I have gone to for the past five years. It’s hard to imagine leaving Fenn and it still hasn't hit me as I stand before you that my Fenn career is over. I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Ward, if you find me roaming the campus tomorrow, wondering where my math class is.

Mr. Ward asked me a few weeks ago if I could think of one defining moment at Fenn that I would always remember. That moment was when we would sing on Fridays at All School Meeting. I would look up from my songbook and see the whole school standing in front of me. I will always remember this moment because I love being part of the Fenn community. Here is one reason why: Every spring the Upper Schoolers perform a comedy for the school. This year it was You Can’t Take It With You and I was cast as Essie, a ballerina. I was really excited because I had always wanted to be in the comedy but I was terrified because there was a scene where I had to come on stage in tights and a tutu. Having to perform in front of the whole school in these clothes was scary because I thought everyone would make fun of me. After the play I waited for people to tease me, but they never did. People only congratulated me. I realized later in the day how amazing this was. I had danced in front of the school in tights and people congratulated me! This kindness is something I don't think I will ever find anywhere else and I want to thank everyone for that.

As I look out at the graduates in the classes of 2013 and 2014, I am sad that we are leaving Fenn and each other. But I want you all to do something for me. I know it would be easy to forget Fenn and to leave it behind, but I don't want you to do that.

Instead of leaving Fenn behind, I want you to take it with you. Take the person Fenn has made you and bring it to your new school. You will be happy and you will be making your new school better.

As I’m about to leave, I want to give some advice to the students who are staying.

Make the most of your Fenn education. I didn't really realize the opportunities I had until ninth grade and I wish I had realized them sooner. Thank you, Fenn, for all that you have given me. I will miss you.

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AWARDS AND HONORS Recipients of the Carter Prize for History and Social Studies with Jim Carter ’54 (left to right): Thomas B. Kaye, Daniel P. Kramer, James C. McAvoy, and Kyler B. Hall

Michael D. Demsher, recipient of the Millar Brainard Science PrizeLatin Prize

MILLAR BRAINARD SCIENCE PRIZE The Millar Brainard Science Prize was established by Edward C. Brainard II ’46 in memory of his father, an old friend of Roger Fenn’s at the time the school was founded.

The prize is awarded to a member or members of the ninth grade class who have not only demonstrated an outstanding knowledge of science but have also displayed enthusiasm, creativity, and an impressive understanding of the scientific method. This year the winner of the Brainard Science Prize was Michael D. Demsher.

THE CARTER PRIZE FOR HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES The Carter Prize for History and Social Studies, named in honor of Jim Carter ’54 for his distinguished forty years of teaching history and social studies at Fenn, is awarded to a graduating student or students who in their years at Fenn have shown exceptional interest, knowledge, and diligence in their study of history and social studies. This year the recipients of the Carter Prize were ninth graders Kyler B. Hall and Connor McAvoy, and eighth graders Daniel P. Kramer and Thomas B. Kaye.

LENNOX LINDSAY LATIN PRIZE

Winners of the Lennox Lindsay Latin Prize (left to right): Zachary J. Lisman and Thomas B. Kaye

Lennox Lindsay was Fenn’s first Latin master, who taught at the school from 1929 to 1939.

Mr. Lindsay, according to Roger Fenn, “made Latin a living language, not a dead one” through his explorations of Roman manners, culture, and artifacts. Initially conferred upon the boy who shared Mr. Lindsay’s passion for these areas of the curriculum, today the Lennox Lindsay Latin Prize is awarded for overall excellence in the study of Latin. This year the prize went to eighth graders Thomas B. Kaye and Zachary J. Lisman.

BAND AWARD Recipients of the Moats Mathematics Prize (left to right): Michael D. Demsher, Joseph M. C. LaRocca, and Lincoln T. Berkley

The Band Award is presented for leadership and dedication. This year’s recipients were ninth graders Michael D. Demsher, Joshua A. Cabral, and William O. Haslett and eighth grader Joseph M.C. LaRocca.

ALAN S. MOATS MATHEMATICS PRIZE The parents of Alan S. Moats ’62 established the Moats Mathematics Prize in 1966 in their appreciation for Fenn’s excellence in preparing their son for the rigors of Phillips Exeter Academy. In its first year, the prize was given “for the curiosity which raised questions, the perseverance which sees through to the answers, and the thoroughness which is the mark of excellence in any field.” This year the Moats Mathematics Prize was awarded to ninth grader Michael D. Demsher and eighth graders Lincoln T. Berkley and Joseph M.C. LaRocca.

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Instrumental Music Director Maeve Lien and winners of the Band Award (left to right): Joseph M. C. LaRocca, Michael D. Demsher, William O. Haslett, and Joshua A. Cabral

Eleanor B. Fenn Modern Language Prize winners (left to right): Michael D. Demsher, Edward J. Fitzsimmons, and Gavin M. Black

ELEANOR B. FENN MODERN LANGUAGE PRIZE Originally a prize for achievement in French, the Eleanor B. Fenn Modern Language Prize commemorates the many contributions of Mrs. Fenn, the school’s first French teacher and the dedicated wife of founder Roger Fenn. Today, with this prize, Fenn recognizes the most accomplished Spanish students for their talent and interest in the language and culture of Spain and for their exemplary academic work in the Spanish language. This year, ninth graders Gavin M. Black, Michael D. Demsher, and Edward J. Fitzsimmons were honored with the prize.

Gould Arts Awards winners (left to right): Michael D. Demsher, Edward J. Fitzsimmons, and William O. Haslett

GOULD ARTS AWARD The Arts Award is named for Kirsten Gould, who retired in 2011 after twenty-seven years at Fenn, for her “visionary shaping of Fenn’s Arts program in its rich and full dimensions.” The award is given by vote of the Arts department faculty, and in its first year was presented to three students who have demonstrated throughout their careers at Fenn exemplary dedication and accomplishment respectively in music, drama, and the visual arts. This year, from the Class of 2013, Edward J. Fitzsimmons was honored for distinction in the visual arts, William O. Haslett for distinction in drama, and Michael D. Demsher for distinction in music.

CITIZENSHIP PRIZES Awarded by faculty to students in their divisions, Fenn School Citizenship Prizes honor boys who show exceptional citizenship traits: they are especially hard working in their school activities, they are particularly cheerful, positive, and supportive to other students, and they are relied upon by faculty to lend a hand when important jobs need to be done.

This year the following students were honored with Citizenship Prizes on Prize Day:

4TH GRADE

7TH GRADE

Alexander J. Brown Peter F. Cook Thomas J. Fitzsimmons Camren W. Fries Marshall G. Wesel

Robert P. Brower Walker L. Davey Nicholas E. Schoeller Nicholas R. Steinert Benjamin S. R. Zide

5TH GRADE

8TH GRADE

Nicolo A. Carere James J. Ewing Matthew J. Gainsboro

Alec M. Reiss Edward R. Uong Rohan Upadhyayula Cormac A. Zachar

6TH GRADE Tyler E. Arle Kevin C. Ewing Samuel J. Farley Keven P. Querido Thaddeus M. Scheibe Maxwell K. Steinert

9TH GRADE Gordon F. Hargraves Kyler B. Hall John P. Hart Marcus C. Mazzotti

Travers Prize winners in the Upper School (left to right): Joshua A. Cabral, Henry K. Griff in, Thomas B. Kaye, Graham M. Adams, William R. Hrabchak, and Benjamin B. Ludwick

WILLIAM O. TRAVERS WRITING CONTEST At graduation in 1979, the Fenn School Board of Trustees established an English prize to honor the long and dedicated service of William O. Travers, English teacher and assistant headmaster from 1956 to 1979.

Mr. Travers’ keen interest in writing and his long-held desire for a composition prize prompted a contest to be created in each division of the school for which submissions of imaginative, creative, and descriptive writing were sought. This year, in the Poetry category, the winners were Peter F. Cook (Lower School), Owen P. Elton (Middle School), and Joshua A. Cabral and Graham M. Adams (Upper School).

For Personal Narrative, the winners were Timothy C. First (Lower School), Benjamin S. R. Zide (Middle School), and William R. Hrabchak and Benjamin B. Ludwick (Upper School.) In Fiction, prizes went to Marshall G. Wesel (Lower School), Mark E. Herdiech (Middle School), and Thomas B. Kaye and Henry K. Griff in (Upper School.)

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FENN GRADUATING CLASS OF 2013 GAVIN M. BLACK Kimball Union Academy

MITCHELL M. GROVES Lawrence Academy

ANDREW C. NAJDA, JR. Concord Academy

JOSHUA A. CABRAL Tewksbury High School

KYLER B. HALL St. Mark’s School

LUKE J. MAGUIRE NEWMAN Lawrence Academy

MAXWELL L. CANTARA Holderness School

GORDON F. HARGRAVES Middlesex School

WILLIAM J. ROBERTSON Kent School

DILLON J. CRONIN Lincoln-Sudbury High School

JOHN P. HART St. Mark’s School

ODOM K. SAM St. George’s School

MICHAEL D. DEMSHER Phillips Academy, Andover

WILLIAM O. HASLETT Northf ield Mount Herman

JAMES L. SANDERSON Middlesex School

EDWARD J. FITZSIMMONS Maynard High School

ZACHERY J. LISMAN Rivers School

LEO J. SARACENO St. Paul’s School

JACOB B. GOORNO Middlesex School

MARCUS C. MAZZOTTI Medford High School

REID R. SHILLING Deerf ield Academy

THOMAS P. GROSS Lawrence Academy

JAMES C. MCAVOY Concord Academy

NATHAN I. WINNEG Concord Academy

THEODORE J. MCCLUSKEY Lincoln-Sudbury High School

“Work as a Team, Succeed as a Team”

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by James Sanderson ’13

“Fenn has given me the best friends in the world, the most caring teachers at a time when I needed them, and the core values that guided my experience. ”

Members of the Fenn community, parents, grandparents, family, and friends—When I sat down to reflect upon my experiences at Fenn, I thought about who I was as an entering fourth grader: crazy, hyperactive, and super competitive. Lucky for me, the teacher I spent most of the day with that year in ILP with was Mrs. Star. She taught me and all of her class how to read and develop a work ethic, and she gave us confidence in ourselves. Mrs. Star, on behalf of John, Luke, Mitchell, and Leo, I want to thank you, because none of us would be where we are without you. You are truly a life-changing teacher. I am sure that each ninth grader has had one or two teachers at Fenn who has changed his life, too.

There are other memories at Fenn that our class will always carry with us: There is walking into the gym lobby in the morning, and knowing we’ll see the door to Star’s office open and seeing Rousie, Star, Mr. Bradley, Freemon, Kwame, and other teachers enjoying each other’s company while keeping an eye on the guys in the new gym. There’s going up the stairs to Ms. Libby’s room, fondly known as the Libby Lounge, no matter how early it was, greeted by vibrating speakers and Josh doing the legendary shower dance that fits perfectly with the song “I Need a Dollar.” Our daily sessions in Libby Lounge have shown the ninth grade that we are a team, helping each other out in our studies and having a great time being classmates and friends.

We are a team and our philosophy is “Work as a team, fail as a team, succeed as a team.”

There is acting in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare last spring, and realizing that in such a trusting, close-knit community my classmates and I could become Shakespearean comic fools and the audience would love it. And then having a fourth grader come up to me after my performance and congratulating me by saying, “Good job, Mr. Vice President.” There is selling doughnuts on Friday mornings as the Vice President, getting followed and grabbed by about one hundred Lower Schoolers wanting a strawberry frosted doughnut. Good luck with that, Leo. Thanks, Mother, for buying the doughnuts week after week. Leo, your mother can call Anne anytime for moral support.

Playing sports at Fenn has always been the highlight of my day. Winning the Eaglebrook tournament this year will always be my best memory of Fenn. I’ll never forget when Star, Will, Josh, and I put tremendous pressure on and supported a seventh grader, Walker Davey, to make a PK in the shootout. And I’ll never forget his face after he put the ball in the bottom right corner and we won the tournament.

Sports memories don’t get much better than this.

As I look back on all these memories, I realize that Fenn has given me the best friends in the world, the most caring teachers at a time when I needed them, and the core values that guided my experience. Congratulations to the graduating classes of 2013 and 2014. Thank you to all the teachers and parents who have supported us through the years and to Fenn for being an unforgettable place. Sua Sponte, guys.

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Graduation Moments

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FENN GRADUATING CLASS OF 2014 GRAHAM M. ADAMS Concord-Carlisle High School

HENRY K. GRIFFIN Belmont Hill School

REID P. PARISI Middlesex School

LIAM P. C. BANNON Woodside Priory School

BLAKE B. GRIFFITH Rivers School

DAVID G. PERKINS Concord-Carlisle High School

LINCOLN T. BERKLEY Concord Academy

WILLIAM R. HRABCHAK Deerf ield Academy

ALEC M. REISS Groton School

DANIEL J. M. BROUN Concord Academy

NICKLAS J. JOHNSON Concord-Carlisle High School

JUSTIN S. ROBB Acton-Boxborough High School

JOSEPH E. CONROY IV Concord-Carlisle High School

THOMAS B. KAYE Middlesex School

CHRISTOPHER J. RUEDIGER Concord-Carlisle High School

HUNTER M. CORLISS Rivers School

DANIEL P. KRAMER Middlesex School

JACKSON W. STARK Concord Academy

MATTHEW J. CUNNINGHAM Nashoba High School

JOSEPH M. C. LAROCCA Concord Academy

CORY J. TIBBETS Acton-Boxborough High School

LIAM T. EARLY Phillips Andover Academy

GEORGE B. LITTLEFIELD St. Mark’s School

DUNCAN J. UMPHREY Noble and Greenough School

RYAN A. EWING Middlesex School

BENJAMIN B. LUDWICK Acton-Boxborough High School

ROHAN UPADHYAYULA Phillips Exeter Academy

RICHARD P. GALLO St. Sebastian’s School

JACKSON A. LYMAN Concord-Carlisle High School

CHADWICK J. VALPEY Cambridge School of Weston

RAEF J. GORMLEY Concord-Carlisle High School

ALEXANDER J. S. MURESIANU Middlesex School

MATTHEW T. H. WILSON Concord-Carlisle High School

SHEPARD M. GREENE St. Mark’s School

WILLIAM W. PAGE Concord-Carlisle High School

RANDY ZHOU Commonwealth School

EIGHTH AND NINTH GRADE CELEBRATIONS

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uring graduation week, celebratory evening

events are held for each grade. Early in the week, eighth graders and their parents,

teachers, and advisors honor those class members who are leaving Fenn and the event provides those who are returning an opportunity to come together

and look towards their futures as seniors at the school. Headmaster Ward offers personal reflections of each graduating student and four student speakers—two departing boys and two returning, chosen by their peers—address their classmates and guests.

On the night before graduation, ninth graders and their parents gather for dinner and the traditional serenade written and sung by their advisors, with a verse for each graduate.

This year, Derek Boonisar, assistant headmaster and head of the Upper School, provided opening comments at each event, praising the classes for their friendliness, patience, respectfulness, and enthusiasm.

Here are excerpts from the Eighth Grade Night speeches appear on the opposite page.

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“Fenn Will Stay a Part of You”

“The Meaning of NAMBAM”

by Cormac Zachar ’14 (next year’s School President)

by Christopher Ruediger ’14

n all of us in the 8th grade, Fenn has had an enormous impact. When I got out of my car that first September morning in 2008, I was a kid who quite honestly didn’t exactly love going to school. But even by the end of that half day, I realized that Fenn was a place very different from anything I had experienced before and I could tell my perspective on school was already changing. My Fenn teachers taught classes in a completely engaging and different way—they handed us hammers, jigsaws, cameras, oil paint and clay, and chicken wings to take apart and reassemble.

On the Fenn faculty are some of the most thoughtful and approachable adults I have come across, and due to their guidance and commitment towards every student, I feel I understood each of my courses much more clearly.

We will miss all of you who are graduating but you will not be forgotten by the Fenn community: you are here in the team photos, on the shelves of artwork and trophies, and on the tiles in the dining hall. In a lasting way, you are still part of all that we experienced here together; in the games, meets, and tournaments, the plays and musicals, the public speaking contests and community service events, the trips we took from Windsor Mountain to D.C., and in just about everything else, Fenn will stay a part of you and you will remain a part of Fenn.

ne of the first gifts that every boy receives at Fenn is a NAMBAM shirt.

You probably know that the letters NAMBAM stand for “Not a New Boy Any More,” but the shirt carries a much stronger meaning. NAMBAM challenges each boy at Fenn to dig deep, contribute, and help make Fenn the great place that it is. Each one of us is special in our own way, and Fenn does an amazing job of continuing to remind us of that every day.

Fenn provides unexpected challenges which can be difficult but which can also be rewarding. For instance, there is the W.W. Fenn speaking contest… and there is drama. I will never forget my father’s face when I came out on stage dressed as Agent 99 [a female character].

When I think about that NAMBAM shirt, I am proud to say that we have all risen to the occasion and made Fenn a better place. I know that each of us will carry the lessons that we have learned at Fenn. When confronted with difficult decisions, we will think about Sua Sponte and being responsible for our actions. We will remember the four core values: honesty, empathy, respect, and courage. These are not just words but ideas that will shape our lives.

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“Keeping our Class Spirit Alive”

by Chad Arle ’14

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y time growing up with my class at Fenn has been truly remarkable. We have not only grown together, but we have also made many memories together. Walking down the halls with my best friend, Willie, we would often try to decide who had the best class in the school. We would always decide it was our own grade.

A huge portion of my memories here at Fenn have been made with my teachers. In fifth grade I had to leave Field Day early, and about an hour after the school day ended, Mr. Byrd showed up at my door with a ribbon I had won and had not been there to receive. In sixth grade I became “Best Friends for Life” with my amazing teacher, Mr. Potsaid, and I created a secret handshake with Mr. Sanborn. I feel just as close to the teachers at this school as I do with my friends.

This proves how amazing a place Fenn is, and this is one of the reasons I’m staying.

Those of us who are remaining will keep the spirit of our amazing class alive. For those of you leaving, I know you will carry the spirit of our class with you to your next schools.

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from “Seizing the Moment”

by Joe LaRocca ’14 hen I listen to the Treble Chorus or the Beginning Band performing, it's hard for me not to tear up. I was a member of the Trebles in the sixth and seventh grades, and I have played trumpet in the Fenn band every year. They are two of my most memorable experiences at Fenn and watching these groups perform this spring for the final time was bittersweet.

This year I told myself to seize the moment and enjoy my time at Fenn while it lasted because eventually every Fenn student has to move on. I am going to be crying when my name is called to receive my diploma, especially because Fenn has been such a special place for everyone who is graduating this year.

Fenn has not just offered many opportunities for me to shine; it has also given me plenty of chances to be a leader. I have grown from a nervous and shy fourth grader to the confident young man that I am today. I have really enjoyed being taught by every single teacher I have had at Fenn; every faculty member is devoted to helping every student succeed. And I have made several friendships at Fenn that will last an extremely long time. No matter where we live or what school we go to, we will always remain proud to be part of the Fenn School Class of 2014.

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Graduation Moments

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Congratulations, Graduates!