George School Compendium

Est. 1893

2nd Edition

George School

COMPENDIUM Essays, Facts, and Observations about the Quaker boarding school in Newtown, Pennsylvania M E E T I NGHOUSE

For students who value academic rigor, enjoy collaboration and creativity, relish athletic and artistic pursuits, and appreciate the ideals of service, social justice, and diversity.

George School

COMPENDIUM

This compendium is dedicated to all George School students and graduates. They are the inspiration for this layered and loving collection of facts and observations written by students, graduates, parents, teachers, and community members.

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Be Yourself 4 Be a Citizen Scholar 26 Be Challenged 44 Be Creative 62 Be a Cougar 78 Thrive 96

PR E FAC E

This collection of photos, facts, essays, quotes, and curiosities will help you understand the unique nature of George School. We hope that these brief glimpses of life at George School will inspire you to imagine your future as a student here.

Since there aren’t enough pages in this book to tell the whole story, we included “a click away” component that will take you to our website. At georgeschool.org you’ll find a treasure trove of nifty stuff. Watch for the GS hand symbol in the subsequent pages. It will point you to the right place.

BE YOURSELF

The main building, and its unique roofline, has been an icon to generations of students who have called George School home since it opened in 1893.

Be who you are. Trust who you can become. At George School you write the story of your life.

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BE YOU R SE L F

A CLASSROOM UNLIKE ANY OTHER

It is 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 4, and we’ve just completed lights-out in Orton Dorm on the night before the first true day of classes. The new Orton prefects are settling into their roles, and the dorm staff is preparing to teach on Monday morning. Our opening meeting was an opportunity to introduce the new students to the returning students, and for everyone to get reacquainted.

Looking around the lounge at our assembled dorm community as I launched into my grand spiel about living with simplicity, it was easy to see the diversity that is present in our community. To be honest, the diversity that our eyes are trained to spot is too shallow given the real complexity of our student body at George School.

If all you see are the surfaces of the students, then you miss more than half of the diversity that is embedded in the student population.

Can you tell on sight whether a student is a Quaker or not? Can you tell on sight if a student was raised in a home with two parents or one? Can you tell on sight if a student from Korea has been attending school in the United States or Canada for years or if this is his first month in America? Can you tell on sight if the student wearing the football team jersey is also a talented thespian or cellist?

In addition to the history of racial inequality that Americans tote around as part of our shared past, in the dorm we have students who bring with them a history of strife with the neighbors of their home countries, or religious beliefs that are in the minority in this part of the United States. Yet somehow, in the dorm, it all works. Teenagers

BE YOU R SE L F

7

are blessedly open to the possibility of getting to know people who are dramatically different from themselves, and the combination of months of close proximity and the value of equality that is in the water here, and this phenomenally diverse dorm community feels like a home in which everyone is a brother.

George School prizes diversity and equality, and to be sure, we have programmatic elements in our classroom curriculum that teach to these aspirations. But boarding schools present so many other opportunities to address these values. Athletics is one such opportunity; the dining hall is another. But most schools have those milieus as well.

The dormitory is a classroom unlike any other. At George School, Jewish students will live under the same roof as students from Palestine. Quaker students will live under the same roof as students whose families have a tradition of military service. The conversations that these interactions produce in the classroom can be fascinating, especially with a skilled teacher present to add information as they evolve. Yet the conversations in the dorm, at 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday night, when sparked by an unexpected news item on TV (or, these days, Facebook or Twitter), can be even more visceral. That is where the rubber meets the road in boarding school life, where students must suddenly let their lives speak if they are really going to respect diversity. I’ve seen it happen.

E R I C W O L A R S K Y, FAC U L T Y M E M B E R

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BE YOU R SE L F

“I was inspired by, and helped by, and educated by my entire class. George School teachers are the best.

I went to Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, pretty good places, and I never had teachers as good as my math, English, science, and history teachers.

They gave me scientific rigor, inspired me to love math —who would have thought of it—and love biology.

“The culture and values here really have been a core part of my life as they have been for many in my class. The commitment to social good… commitment to eliminate disparities…contribution to knowledge…they are all driven by a strong spiritual core that we developed here.”

M AC K L I PK I N , C L A S S O F 19 61

BE YOU R SE L F

13

“My favorite aspect of George School is definitely the community where everyone is accepted for who they are. The other

I love having friends not only from all over the United States, but from all over the world. I think this helps me understand other thing I like is the diversity.

cultures more and makes me a better ‘world citizen.’”

H AY D E E L A R A , S T U D E N T

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website to learn what we cherish about inclusivity and diversity in all its dimensions at George School.

Visit georgeschool.org/dimensions

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BE YOU R SE L F

“One of my favorite things about George School is our practice of calling everyone by his or her first name. Outside of George School, I am sometimes called ‘Mrs. Missonis,’ which makes me feel guarded and uneasy. There are historical and cultural reasons for calling someone by her formal title, and there are good intentions behind these reasons. But the practice of using this formal title creates a distance between people. When people refer to each other by their first names, they instantly create a feeling of warmth and familiarity between one another.

George School is a Friends school, and I want everyone I encounter to feel that I am approaching them in the spirit of friendship, and vice versa.

In particular, I do not want my students to feel that there is distance between us. I believe our practice of using first names for everyone empowers our students and fosters an inclusive environment that permeates all aspects of life here. To everyone at George School, I am ‘Rebecca’ and I am grateful for that.”

R E B E C C A M I S S O N I S , FA C U LT Y M E M B E R

BE YOU R SE L F

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FACTS Wh at’s Behi nd t h e Na me ? George School is named for John M.

George who willed his estate to create a Quaker secondary school in the late 1800s. The school opened in 1893 with 155 students—130 of them were boarders and twenty-five of them were day students.

The committee that created the school was half male and half female.

The school, from the very start, was co-ed, as well.

A Gl oba l Per spec t i v e . Recently we tallied the number of home

countries of our students and found that, over a ten-year period, students from eighty-eight countries attended George School. You can’t get more literal proof than that to show that an international perspective pervades the classroom and the campus.

Gr e at Te ach er s. Teacher Ralph Lelii explained what attracts such a large number of good teachers to George School: “I teach here because I love any number of my colleagues, their eccentricity, their love of a particular discipline, their wittiness, and wonderful sense of humor. It is important for me to feel inspired by my colleagues and there are any number here who inspire me, who keep me proud of what we are doing collectively.”

Ta bu l at i ng t h e Siz e of Thi ngs. The George School campus

is the size of a small college campus. If you consider that we have five hundred plus students (more than half are boarders, the rest are day students), and 240 acres, that means each student has at least a half acre to call his or her own.

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BE YOU R SE L F

Bet w e e n t h e C ou n t ry a nd t h e Cit y. The campus has a

bucolic sensibility, but Newtown—chosen recently as one of the ten coolest small towns in America—is only one mile away.

Philadelphia is thirty-five miles south and New York City is ninety miles north.

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website to watch a playful film that tells the short story of how a collection of students, teachers, and alumni got together on a cold Saturday morning to try to memorize the school’s mission statement, page 25, and to recite it in unison. This microsite also lets you learn about the performers—where they come from, and what they do. Visit georgeschool.org/missionstatement

With

Quaker tradition

as its touchstone and AC A DE M IC E XC E L L E NC E at its core,

George School seeks to develop citizen scholars cheerfully committed to openness in the pursuit of truth, to service and peace, and to the faithful stewardship of the earth.

We want our students to treasure learning for its own sake and to use it to benefit a diverse world. Above all, we want them to

“let their lives speak.�

G E O R G E S C H O O L M I S S I O N S TA T E M E N T

BE A CITIZEN SCHOLAR

George School encourages students to use their knowledge to make the world a better place.

George School students like those around them. They like what they do.

They like to serve others. And they like who they are.

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BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITIZEN SCHOLAR

Although they look like garden-variety students, a rare, sub-species of youthful individuals has been identified and observed on the George School campus. These Citizen Scholars (cives scholastici) share a number of distinguishing traits.

1. Th e y L ik e Those A rou nd Th e m.

Certainly this must be true. After all, they are among other likeminded individuals. They share common values and purpose—their actions are clearly motivated by citizenship and scholarship. Yet, they come from many different backgrounds, many different places and cultures, and bring many different life experiences with them to George School. Indeed, it appears that it is the differences among them that these citizen scholars find most appealing—rather than their similarities.

A CLICK AWAY

This essay, “Characteristics of the Citizen Scholar,” was adapted from A Field Guide to Citizen Scholars, a mythical tale about a subspecies of adolescents who find themselves compelled to take a journey to Newtown, Pennsylvania for schooling. This edited excerpt speaks to the essential characteristics of a citizen scholar. To read the original story by Will Schwartz, visit georgeschool.org/citizenscholars

BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

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2 . Th e y L ik e Wh at Th e y Do.

Unencumbered by convention, citizen scholars lead lives of exploration, curiosity, learning, and adventure. Every day! And each in his or her own way.

Much of their daily lives seem to follow a plan, especially early in the day when students can be seen lugging books into and out of the brick buildings. A wondrous and colorful sight is the pile of backpacks often left outside the buildings, untended. One supposes it’s a sign of the ease these students have with one another. Trust and faith in each other would seem to be implicit, and another defining characteristic they share.

The majority of their waking hours are devoted to academics and related activities. But when that more ordered part of the day ends, these folk are no less active. They can be observed engaged in a limitless variety of pursuits, individually, in pairs, or in groups small and large. These activities may be an extension of classroom studies, they may be for personal enrichment, social purposes, or in the service of others. Regardless of the time of day, these citizen scholars approach whatever they do with insatiable curiosity, joy, and the desire to wring the most out of every waking minute. Their days are nourishing.

3 . Th e y L ik e To Serv e O t h er s.

Social responsibility is one of the defining behaviors of the citizen scholar. Every single one of them works on and off campus in service of others. Some might volunteer at local nursing homes, shelters, or soup kitchens. Others may tutor inner-city children, build

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BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

houses with Habitat for Humanity, or even travel abroad to do an international service project. The school identifies many of these opportunities but students also routinely engage their characteristic industry and imagination to create service activities that are personally meaningful to them. There are no boundaries.

The options are limitless, the rewards are enduring.

This commitment to service is an obligation students happily embrace. It’s how they reveal their true character, how they distinguish themselves. Students recognize that their lives are not their own, that a meaningful life is one lived with and for others.

4 . Th e y L ik e Who Th e y A r e .

Dedicated to learning, service, and peace, citizen scholars carry themselves with an enviable cool, a certain je ne sais quoi, rarely seen in those so young. This may be a function of the openness with which they approach every day of their lives, or a consequence of their devotion to the pursuit of truth. It could be the way citizen scholars tend to put themselves in a position for good things to happen—intellectually, physically, and spiritually, or it could be a reflection of the humility, grace, and joy with which they approach the world and each other.

They behave as if they understand that who they are and what they do matters...that the world matters—and all its creatures, human or otherwise, matter as well. Remarkably, they are able to communicate this engagement and humility in everything they do, often without uttering a word. Their lives speak.

BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

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“If I had to choose one testimony that is central to how I see Quakerism, it would be integrity.

It is beyond important to have a clear sense of who we are, including our own strengths and weaknesses.

Only by recognizing them can we understand the gifts we bring to the communities of which we are members, and the ways we can live a life that harmonizes with our true character.

We also need this self-understanding to strengthen our souls and our consciences so that we can be alert to the difference between the inner voice that comes from ourselves and one that is more transcendent than the self— one that calls us to share our talents and our insights with others and that leads us to recognize and fulfill meaningful roles in the world.”

SA M HOUSER, HE A D OF SCHO OL

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BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

“The service projects at George School were so meaningful to me. They taught me how to get to know a culture through side-by-side cooperation. It was almost diplomacy through service.�

S A R A W O L F, C L A S S O F 19 9 9

The quote above from Sara Wolf, Class of 1999, was in a 2010 Georgian article that featured Sara for her rescue work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

She said her experience in providing emergency recovery work has taught her resourcefulness, flexibility, and the importance of listening. See the entire article at georgeschool.org/Haiti.

BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

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“Hope is born out of direct personal experience.

I want George School students to know that they can, in concert with others, address need, suffering, and injustice. Students expand their worldview by seeing up-close the history, the politics, the economics, and the statistics they study in the classroom and read about in the paper.

And they see that service is part of a well-lived, contributing life.�

C A R O LY N LY DAY, FAC U L T Y M E M B E R

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BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

“I was Black, and back then the school wasn’t as diverse as it is now. I was coming from a very different environment and community and there were lots of things that were different about me, but there were a lot of things that were different about the people who were here. And I never felt different then and I never felt that I could not be who I was. I

was completely embraced and was able to completely embrace everyone else in the community. I was able to give my gifts and receive openly the love of everyone—certainly the faculty, also the students—but also the staff. Every single person who labors in this place does it with love, whether it is in the kitchen, or the grounds. You feel it. I am grateful for that. It

is a place where

you can be exposed to so many things.”

S H E E N A W R I G H T, C L A S S O F 19 8 6

Sheena Wright described her experience of how it felt to be a girl from the Bronx who attended George School in the early 1980s when there were very few other African American students like her on campus. Her sense of feeling loved by the community is a feature that students and alumni frequently refer to as a cherished aspect of George School.

BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

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FACTS Peopl e a nd t h e Pl a n et. At George School, our community is

grounded by a sense of responsibility to each other and to the earth we inhabit.

A Cu lt u r e of C oncer n is Perva si v e . On their own time,

many students feel inspired to organize blood drives and fundraisers, and to start or join clubs for causes dear to their hearts.

It Sta rts R ight H er e . A new student’s first taste of service

is to their local community—the school itself. Co-op jobs from dishwasher to organic gardener underscore everyone’s responsibility for maintaining the successful operations of the school.

E ng age me n t w it h t h e Ou tside Wor l d. Students must

perform at least sixty-five hours of service after their sophomore year in a culminating project that includes one-on-one interaction with members of an underserved community, such as the disadvantaged or disabled, or victims of violence, poverty, or injustice.

R e spondi ng to Ne ed. Each year, dozens of students head off

during their spring and summer vacations to respond to natural disasters, help in schools, construct or renovate buildings, and work in soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

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BE A C I T I Z E N S C HOL A R

A Spir it of Serv ice . Many service projects are inspired by the

interests of faculty members, such as the longtime relationship with a sister school in Managua, Nicaragua, that began in 1992.

Indepe nde n t Projec ts. Some students design service projects

to follow a passion; others want to serve near home. For instance, an animal-lover brought her rabbit for pet-therapy sessions with nursing home residents. A student from Princeton, after witnessing the poverty in nearby Trenton during service, became interested in urban planning.

Q: W hat are some distinctive features of a George School graduate? ➛ The ability to balance self-confidence against modesty. ➛ An impressive collection of T-shirts. ➛ The desire to create community wherever you find yourself. ➛ The belief that fostering community requires little more than mutual respect and care. ➛ A half-decent sense of humor. ➛ Their confidence that they can be self-sufficient. ➛ A fondness for sticky buns and themed weekends.

L I S T C O N T R I B U T E D B Y RU B E N DAV I S , CL ASS OF 2006

BE CHALLENGED

Discovery can be a happy accident, but more often learning is a process that relies on hard work, opportunity, and collaboration.

Come explore a place where teachers challenge you, laugh with you, listen to you, and learn with you.

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BE C H A L L E NGED

PASSIONATE ABOUT LEARNING

When I first came to George School as a freshman, I’d go to school, do my work, and leave it to that. Little more than a habit, something I did because I was told to do it. I had no clear vision of why I was doing it, and when I think about it now, little personal investment in what I learned.

At George School, this approach gradually evolved. There was no eureka moment, but as I compare myself then and now, I see a clear change. I suspect most of us can. I became passionate about learning because of my own desire to learn, not to simply please the adults around me. I see a clear difference now in how I want to center my life. I notice my admiration is now with those who approach work with a certain seriousness.

For years I’ve seen my father wake up in the middle of the night to deliver a baby. I see this now with respect—for the intensity and preparation involved in his work. I want to see my life heading in a similar direction—that is, focused on the seriousness of study for the sake of furthering my knowledge. It doesn’t matter what that passion is, what matters is that you have a desire to go after it on your own. I think that’s the key: independent drive, a desire to do something by yourself, without a parent or teacher to tell you what to do, so different from my school life earlier on. Finding work that we love and that we can do with competency and dedication, hopefully to a service greater then ourselves, is a goal we should all try to obtain. That, I believe, is greatness.

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I also notice today the emphasis George School places on personal relationships. We call our teachers by their first names. We feel comfortable waving to anyone we pass on campus.…By no means did I get along with absolutely everyone that I encountered at this school.

But I can say that I felt the importance that this community placed on inter-personal relationships, and on our day-to-day interactions with others. This attention can have a profound effect, even when we don’t realize it. Paul Machemer [math teacher and coach] recently told a story in meeting for worship, about a compliment he received about baseball from a classmate and star athlete his freshman year at George School. “I saw you fielding ground balls today. You looked pretty good out there.” The classmate of course promptly forgot the remark, but Paul never did—decades later, he still remembers the effect that this idle comment had on his sense of himself. We all have the capacity to make such comments.

The elusive healthy balance between work and relationships is what we should all strive for. George School is a place that, at its best, can be a place of greatness defined by a close attention and seriousness to both work and relationships. Voltaire had advice about this: “In terms of the universe, what we do each day matters not at all, but in the realm of the human soul, it matters terribly.” My wish is that we have the wisdom and commitment to achieve greatness by approaching our work and our relationships so that they matter terribly.

NAT H A N SM A L L , S TUDEN T

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BE C H A L L E NGED

“Before coming to George School, I taught at both the high school and university levels. I liked the energy of the high school students and the sophistication of the university students.

But at George School, I lucked out.

Here students are mature and ‘collegiate,’ but they’re also motivated, excited, and wide-eyed. It’s the best of both worlds.”

C H R I S O D O M , FAC U L T Y M E M B E R

BE C H A L L E NGED

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“It was interesting to have students from different countries in International Baccalaureate Economics class and to compare the different economic practices between the countries and see what worked and what didn’t work in their different systems.…Knowledge of economics is an almost necessary skill in today’s world.

It’s like finally being able to understand a language that you have been hearing for years.”

W Y E T H H OWA R D , C L A S S O F 2 010

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BE C H A L L E NGED

FACTS At t h e H e a rt of It. Transformative relationships between

teachers and students are the heart of the George School educational experience. Based upon a powerful combination of example, mutual respect, and personal commitment, these relationships support a program that is intentionally balanced between rigor and reflection, passion and compassion.

A Ch a l l e ngi ng E n v iron me n t. George School teachers challenge

their students to hold themselves to high academic standards and to develop lifelong habits of scholarship and intellectual curiosity.

Ti me M a nage me n t Sk il l s. Because of our rigorous academic

programs, students have to learn to organize their time and study efficiently to succeed here. This experience prepares our seniors to do well at any college or university they choose to attend.

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O t h er s C a n A l so Be R ight. George School was one of the first

US boarding schools to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma in 1985. A challenging two-year curriculum undertaken in a student’s junior and senior years, the program aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who come to understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Th e R e su lts A r e In. George School students who sit for the

rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma have a remarkable success rate not matched by many other IB schools. Visit georgeschool.org/IB to learn more about this extraordinary program.

A CLICK AWAY

George School students build robots that can perform both the heroics of fire fighters and the moves of a dance troupe. They create them by employing math, science, computer programming, and engineering skills. Watch the feats of their mechanical marvels by visiting georgeschool.org/robotics

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BE C H A L L E NGED

“International Baccalaureate (IB) was amazing preparation for the competition I would encounter at Wellesley for college and Harvard for graduate school. While I watched some peers crumble under the weight of the constant measurement and scrutiny in these highly competitive academic environments, I was well-versed in knowing how to derive my self-esteem internally, measure myself realistically against others, and assign appropriate weight to individual accomplishments and perceived failures.

IB was tough and we all competed for the most insightful papers and the coolest art projects. You couldn’t be the best every time,

you learned that you were still a smart person even when you failed sometimes, and there was more to you than just a grade on a paper. It was a priceless experience—to learn that early on—in a safe environment.”

C O R I S T O T T, C L A S S O F 1 9 9 8

Adjectives that describe George School students ➛

JOY F U L

➛

SPI R I T ED

➛

C ER EBR A L

➛

GR EGA R IOUS

➛

A RT I ST IC

➛

I M AGI NAT I V E

➛

AT H L ET IC

➛

I NC LUSI V E

➛

SP ON TA N EOUS

➛

FUN

➛

F L EX I BL E

➛

DET ER M I N ED

BE CREATIVE

Arts feed the human instinct to imagine, to create, to think critically, and to inspire others.

Arts at George School have a way of sticking in your head, under your fingernails, and sometimes on your shoes.

But you’re always thinking, always learning, usually having fun, and most always being in tune.

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BE C R E AT I V E

“The most valuable technique I learned from theater teacher Maureen West was Meisner’s in the moment acting method.

It helped my growth not only as an actor but also as a person. It also has given me an edge over the other international business majors because I am prepared to react calmly and instinctively to problems I am given, and to the mock interviews we have to do in class.”

JOA N N R IK ER, CL A SS OF 20 09

BE C R E AT I V E

“At George School we had permission to explore so many things—athletics, arts, science.

You were rewarded for trying hard and having a positive attitude. No one was funneled into a specific niche. More importantly, it was cool to try new things. I could play on the football team and be part of the school’s musical productions.

George School was where I found my creative spark.”

S A M L AY B O U R N E , C L A S S O F 19 9 3

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BE C R E AT I V E

“Since Dana graduated, I have been reflecting on her George School experience. I

have seen my daughter transform into a mature, vibrant, thoughtful young woman and am grateful to have been at George School to witness it. I watched as she overcame her anxiety about performing for a crowd, and became more than willing to share her love of music with anyone who would listen.

“I thought about what someone said at meeting for worship this morning, that these students feel loved. And yes, I know that Dana felt loved. And as a result Dana loved back. I can’t tell you how many times she said, ‘I just LOVE (fill in the name of a teacher, staff member, or student)!’ The subject of her last email on Community News was ‘LOVE!’” J OYC E FA L S E T T I , S TA F F M E M B E R A N D PA R E N T O F A G R A D UA T E

After completing a degree at Loyola University, Dana Falsetti took her love of performing to a new place—the yoga studio. She travels and teaches yoga all over the world and is known as a body positive yogi who encourages others to push their limits no matter their size. Dana has been featured online and in print publications including People, Shape, Buzzfeed, and more.

BE C R E AT I V E

FACTS Face s of Fa me . Our many graduates in the arts include actors

Blythe Danner, George Segal, and Lane Savadove; composer and performer Meredith Monk; and composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

Pr ide a nd P u r pose . The strength of our arts curriculum has

long been a point of pride at George School. In the book George School: The History of a Quaker Community, the late Kingdon W. Swayne ’37 writes, “From the beginning, George School’s arts program had been given more weight than was common in academic secondary schools at the time.”

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website to learn how the technical skills and creative thinking learned in George School arts classes have been central to the life, work, and success of our graduates.

Visit georgeschoool.org/creative

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BE C R E AT I V E

“Chorale taught me the kind of teamwork skills I never seemed to grasp in a sports or classroom setting, and instilled in me, for the first time, a love of singing.…I’ve been a professional musician since graduating from college, and for the last ten years, I’ve been a member of one of America’s top symphony orchestras.”

S A M U E L ( S A M ) B E R GM A N , C L A S S O F 19 9 4

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website to see a delightful rendition of a song from Among Friends, a musical written, directed, and performed by students. This particular excerpt features students singing about working their shift in the dining room. Though written in 1984, the message is timeless and attests to the fact that creativity and good humor have had a long history at George School. Visit georgeschool.org/amongfriends

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“One thing that always impresses me is the openness of our students and their willingness to express their ideas, their feelings, their concerns, their pain, and their joy in front of their peers.”

J U DY B A R T E L L A , FAC U L T Y M E M B E R

“George School students have a creative energy, a sense of purpose, and a sense of humor that make them an absolute pleasure to teach.

They don’t pose and they don’t compete with one another in the classroom. As a result, discussions can be wonderfully dynamic, filled with revelations for me no less than for them.”

T E R RY C U L L E T O N , FAC U L T Y M E M B E R

BE A COUGAR

Since 1965 the word “cougar� has been the sobriquet of our athletic teams. It was selected through a student opinion poll. Cougars won by a large margin over the other choices: bobcats, wildcats, dragons, huskies, rams, and bulldogs.

Take athletes with talent and heart.

Teach them sound fundamentals. Have them play for each other. Watch them bond and triumph.

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BE A COUGA R

COUGARS AND COUGAR-FISH INSPIRE ATHLETES

As with most schools, there exists at George School an intangible reverence towards our mascot. The cougar, a regal and solitary predator of the temperate Americas, is a source of great pride for our athletes. One might imagine them stalking and hunting with the same agility and endurance as our trademark mountain cat as they run laps during track practice, or one might find them channeling the cougar’s instinctual sharpness when shooting a foul shot or teeing-off on the golf course.

George School athletes have been known to sport determined grimaces that are distinctly inhuman and uniquely puma, as if the genetic blueprints of their bodies have been peppered with those of the mighty cougar. This embodiment of the values and characteristics all George School athletes possess is one that is not only suitable, but flattering.

The wild and majestic ways of the cougar are something to admire, and adhere to…unless, that is, you are on the swim team. While we stand firm behind our beloved cougar, it does possess one flaw: cats don’t do water.

Our swimmers are true amphibians, who cut through the water with striking grace and gusto, whereas cats usually tend to curiously lap at the water with cautionary tongues. Needless to say, this image of a cougar gingerly drinking from the pool is a disappointing one to our apt swimmers. As a result the team created their own mascot:

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the cougar-fish; an animal analogous to the catfish, only bigger, faster, and better at backstroke.

This hybrid creature is of a nature which you will find in many places at George School. While we value longstanding traditions, we aren’t afraid to start new ones. This is the fabric of our community: a blend of old and new; whether it be a lighthearted play off of our longstanding mascot, or the state-of-the-art technology that fills our centuries old buildings, George School offers both the nostalgic simplicity of the past, and the exciting rapidity of the future.

T Y L E R C A M PE L L O N E , S T U D E N T

In this essay, Tyler Campellone, a rising senior, documented the arrival on campus of a new unofficial mascot—created by and for the swim team—that was quickly emblazoned on T-shirts. The story is a great example of the whimsical and entrepreneurial spirit of George School students and their inclination to create T-shirts to witness their points of view. The illustrator of this compendium was inspired by their creativity to draw his own version of a cougar-fish.

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“At George School, in the fall, you have to sign up for a sport. I was staring at the board [that displayed all the choices]…and I saw this little sign that said X COUNTRY. I had no idea what it was. It started at 3:30 and it was 3:00. I had no other choices.”

Sheena Wright walked over to the track and found the coach,

“I just started running and after about twenty minutes I had run the course. I had tennis shoes on, not running shoes. She said, ‘Have you ever done that before’ and I answered, ‘No. Was that special?’ I didn’t know.”

S H E E N A W R I G H T, C L A S S O F 19 8 6

The quote above, explains the serendipity that introduced the sport of running to Sheena Wright, Class of 1986. She ran cross country and track at George School, and was the captain for three years. She went on to Columbia University and earned varsity letters for cross country and track. She still loves to run.

BE A COUGA R

“Being on the football team opens me up to friendships with different people I didn’t know before. We train every day and cheer for each other. That really means a lot.

Even if we were strangers to begin with, we are brothers at the end of the season.”

Z I C H E N ( K E V I N ) H UA N G, S T U D E N T

“My coach helped me realize that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to … kind of cheesy, but somewhere in between running sprints I realized that I could do anything if I just worked hard at it. Because she had confidence that I could perform better, I was able to realize it for myself.”

A N NESSA GR AEBENER, CL A SS OF 2006

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“I gained patience and developed skills in working with others through my experiences as a member of George School sports teams.

George School has so many amazing and caring coaches.”

L ISA BER NA R DINI, CL A SS OF 2008

After high school, Lisa Bernardini was awarded a scholarship to play Division I women’s soccer at Old Dominion University (ODU), where she also made the Division I women’s lacrosse team as a walk-on, making her one of only a few twosport athletes in recent ODU history. In her first year, Lisa helped lead both her soccer and lacrosse teams to their first top 25 and top 20 national rankings, respectively. Lisa finished her ODU career as the second all-time leader in assists in school history, and she is fourth on its all-time points list.

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FACTS Psyching Up. Teams develop special bonds throughout their

seasons and often dress in bizarre outfits to psych each other up for that day’s home game. Their attire alerts the community that an afternoon game is in the offing and reminds them to attend so they can cheer on their classmates and friends.

Get t i ng in t h e G a me . At first, some new students think that the school is crazy to require all students to play on a team sport.

Later students often realize that the school is crazy like a cunning fox. Students often find themselves enjoying a sport they never would have tried on their own. It doesn’t matter what team they play on— whether it is varsity, junior varsity, freshman, or intramural—they love the camaraderie. This focus on team sports adds vitality to our comprehensive athletic program and adds a great dimension to the school’s sense of community and shared endeavors.

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website so you can picture which Cougar team you will want to play on. Try outs for fall sports start on the first day of school.

Visit georgeschool.org/teams

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Fa st Tack Up. An exercise in equestrian teamwork can occur

if a student is running late and doesn’t have the fifteen minutes it would take for an individual to get a horse ready for riding.

Teammates have been known to jump in to produce a thorough “speed tack-up” in just three minutes flat.

St r e ngt h Through Ac t ion. Physical education classes run the gamut from playing ultimate Frisbee, to practicing yoga, to conditioning in weight training, to tilling the soil in our organic garden. The list is long and is often inspired by current student interests. Visit georgeschool.org/physed

A CLICK AWAY

Quakers value, among other things, reflection and silence, so it might come as a surprise that we value shouting as well—at the right place, at the right time. Our fans, or Cougar Crazies as they are affectionately called, are notorious for their omnipresent, highdecibel energy at sporting events. You’ll find that Quakers—despite being quiet and collaborative—can also be downright loud and outright competitive. Visit georgeschool.org/cougarcrazies

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“I challenge our athletes to exceed expectations. The philosophy is a teaching one. I enjoy getting them to strive in class and in athletics. I stress playing to perfection with the understanding that achieving perfection is impossible.�

G E O R G E L O N G, FAC U L T Y M E M B E R

THRIVE

Students thrive at George School because of the wonderful friendships they make with teachers, classmates, and other members of the community.

George School graduates joyously go out into the world, comfortable in their self-awareness and confident in their self-sufficiency.

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“At George School, we believe that information isn’t useful unless you know what to do with it. And deciding what to do with it has everything to do with understanding who you are, what you value, where you want to go, and how you relate to other people. This awareness doesn’t just happen in a vacuum; it is acquired by being in community with others. George School takes this dimension of education very seriously: it is taught with intention, led by example, absorbed with practice, and all occurring in the context of a challenging, safe environment.

“Some say that the spirit of George School has something magical at its core. It’s not magical, really.

It just feels that way sometimes because it is so surprising— and inexplicable—that somehow the qualities of seriousness and serendipity, intellectual rigor and interpersonal informality, assertiveness and respect, individuality and unselfishness can flourish here in tandem. That is a remarkable achievement of the community—students, teachers, and staff members.”

K A R E N H A L L OW E L L , FAC U L T Y M E M B E R A N D PA R E N T O F A G R A D UA T E

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“I didn’t know what to do in meeting for worship. So I sat there waiting…waiting patiently for the spirit to move me. It usually moved the head of school first. He had better reception I guess. Eventually, I somehow learned to meditate and have truly timeless experiences here.…I still use the mental skill of emptying, centering, and focusing—which is like self-hypnosis—in my work, life, and teaching.”

M AC K L I PK I N , C L A S S O F 19 61

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website to learn about the surprisingly complex history of the simple, red-brick building that is featured on this compendium’s cover. You’ll find that the meetinghouse is more than bricks and mortar, it is the heart and soul of campus. To discover why, visit georgeschool.org/meetinghouse

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EMBRACING OTHER FAITHS

As a New York City career Jewish educator, people ask me how I have reconciled my Quaker education with the Judaism that is central to my life. For years, I have been aware of the concern that prospective parents might have in sending their child to a religious school not of their own faith. While George School is indeed a school guided by Quaker principles, it is a community that welcomes and actively values all religions and traditions. Exposure to other ways of life did not force me to redefine my Judaism, but rather encouraged me to clarify and better articulate its role in my life.

When it comes to my faith and heritage, I have always known and always will know what is important to me. It was at George School, however, a place that fosters introspection while respecting heritage and tradition, that I came to better understand the depths and complexity of my personal faith.

M AT T CHECK , CL A SS OF 20 0 0

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FACTS Wor ship i n t h e M a n n er of Fr i e nds. In a Quaker school all

students attend meeting for worship, no matter what their religion.

It’s a time of quiet reflection. Sometimes people are inspired to speak aloud. You might hear messages that drift past you without impact.

Other times you might hear messages that you remember the rest of the day, or the rest of your life.

Th e Wor l d i n Microcosm . Students are exposed to the world as it could be, a world where people of all different faiths, nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures complement each other and flourish together. This remarkable mix of people is sustained because we have one of the largest independent school financial aid budgets in the country. Learn more at georgeschool.org/finaid

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Gr a duat e s At t e nd Top C ol l ege s . The George School senior class is always full of bright and interesting students with a wide variety of interests that lead to a diverse group of college choices.

This year more than 79 percent of members of the Class of 2016 were admitted to colleges rated as either “Most Competitive” or “Highly Competitive” by the Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges. This number does not include other prestigious admissions to international colleges this year such as the London School of Economics and the University of Edinburgh.

Su rv e y r e su lts r e v e a l r e m a r k a bl e ou tcome s. In a survey

of eighty independent schools, George School graduates matched the top scores of the best schools in college preparation. These factors topped them all: critical thinking skills, creative thinking skills, and social skills.

A lu mn i gr at efu l for t h eir educ at ion. A national survey showed that only three schools managed to earn the high score of 4.6 on a five-point scale for overall satisfaction. George School was one of them.

A lu mn i ou t-r a n k e v ery ot h er school su rv e y ed. George School also prepared alumni well for living in a world of socio-economic diversity with a new high score of 4.4 (the average is 3.6). George School provided graduates with a well-rounded preparation for life with a new high score of 4.5 for surveyed schools (the average is 4.1).

“As a junior—and working really, really hard—I especially love the weekends because the pace is different, even though I am working on homework then, too. But I can sit on Red Square when it is warm, and I can ride a sled down South Lawn when the snow is on the hillside. I can catch up with my friends or go to nice places. I particularly like when clubs sponsor weekends because it is fun to see what they put together.”

AU T UM N A T K I N S O N , S T U D E N T

“Every week the Student Activities Board plans activities for the upcoming weekend. As a member of that committee, I put countless hours of time and energy into these weekends.

Nothing feels better than hearing friends on Monday say, ‘This weekend was so much fun’ or ‘the bonfire was great.’

It makes all the hard work worth it.”

DA N S I M O N , S T U D E N T

A CLICK AWAY

Visit our website to learn how lively life is at George School on the weekends. Or click on student clubs and interest groups to pick out the one that you imagine would be a perfect fit for you.

Visit georgeschool.org/campuslife

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THE BEST OF TIMES

In my freshman year I was on a mid-winter break ski trip. The first day of snowboarding, I trudged my way to the ski lift and sat with a member of the senior class. I never knew him well, nor did I have any previous interaction with him, so when he wanted to jump on a seat with me, I was pretty surprised. He asked me how I was liking GS and how freshman year was going. Then he told me something that I never forgot: Your four years at George School will be over in a flash. I never forgot the feeling I had when I heard that. I wasn’t scared, nor was I indifferent. I just understood. Here was a senior who had realized that his fours years at George School were the most amazing and beautiful things that he had ever experienced. I realized that I should appreciate my time here at George School. Looking back now, I can say that I accomplished this goal. I will remember the best of times here at George School. All the friends. All the work. All the music. All the shows. All the sports. All the sleepless nights writing history reports. All the four-square games. All the hours spent working in tech [for stagecraft class]. All the dinners spent with my advisor. All the conversations had over coffee and ice cream. And most of all, all the love that everyone has given me.

Your time here at George School will be over before you know it.

No matter what, just enjoy what you have here and enjoy whatever you do. I did, and it was probably the best decision I ever made.

PA U L “ D U B B L E W O N ” K I M , S T U D E N T

These are the good habits I acquired at GS: ➛ I read every night before bed. ➛ I always ask if I have a question, especially if I think it’s a dumb one. ➛ I push harder. I read past the front page. I think ahead. ➛ I trust in people. ➛ I read over my notes. ➛ I am critical of what I hear. ➛ I see difficulties as challenges. ➛ I am respectful, but never passive. ➛ I take my own happiness very seriously. ➛ I have standards and set limits, though I never let them restrain me. ➛ I can get myself up in the morning. Really. ➛ I follow through when I commit. ➛ I am not scared of eye contact. ➛ I reflect on my decisions. ➛ I can be heard without speaking over others.

A N A L UM N U S L O O K S B AC K O N H I S G E O R G E S C H O O L E X PE R I E N C E .

THE END

However, for prospective students, your George School story is just beginning.

Contact the George School Admission Office at 215.579.6547 or visit our website at georgeschool.org.

Design: Rutka Weadock, Baltimore, MD Primary Photography: Bruce Weller Photography: Jim Inverso, Bob Krist, and John Gleeson ’65 Illustration: Steven Noble

The papers used for the cover and text pages of this book contain 100 percent post consumer fibers and the photo pages contain 30 percent. They are all FSC and Green Seal Certified, and are made with reusable energy in a chlorine-free process.

George School 1690 Newtown Langhorne Road Newtown, Pennsylvania 18940 United States of America 215.579.6547 georgeschool.org