Haverford School Today: Summer 2018

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HAVERFORD SCHOOLToday

HAVERFORD SCHOOL TODAY

Join the club.

About to write your first will or update a previous one? We cordially invite you to join Haverford’s 5% Club by including a charitable bequest of 5% of your estate to Haverford in your will or trust. Why 5%?

Here’s what Hans Davies ’95, founding member of The 5% Club, says: “Because it’s big enough to acknowledge Haverford’s major impact on your life, but small enough to allow you to honor your family and other obligations, too. And, whether your estate grows or shrinks, your gift to Haverford will always be proportional. You’ll never need to change it.”

For more information about joining The 5% Club and Haverford’s Heritage Society, contact: Jeff Day, Director of Development, at 484-571-7052 or jday@haverford.org.

8 features Faculty farewell and incoming leadership

By Dr. Ron Duska and Matt Green; with Dr. Pam Greenblatt and Patrick Andrén Haverford then & now: a look inside the archives

By Meg Yeaton, Archivist Creating systems thinkers: Weston Dripps ’88 spotlights Middle School Diversity Conference Club Spotlight: Entrepreneur Club Spring Lectures Caryl M. Stern, UNICEF USA Paul Assaiante, Trinity College Dr. Eric Foner, Columbia University Dr. David Sternberg ’08, NASA Faculty Spotlight: John Suter Alumni Spotlights Dr. Charles J. Ball ’80, U.S. Department of Defense Tyler Bell ’89, Roku Inc.

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departments From the Headmaster 3 Around the Quad 4 Parents 15 Arts 16 Athletics 20 Alumni 36 Class Notes 42 Reflections 64 covers

Front: Students disassemble a doorknob as part of “What’s Inside,” one of 17 workshops during Middle School Xcursion Days.

Inside front: Third-graders created jointed rod puppets in art class, inspired by Wayang Golek puppets that are an integral part of Indonesia’s creative culture.

Back: March Madness took over the Lower School as fifth-graders competed against faculty members in three-point shots, a dribble relay, and an exhibition basketball game on March 15.

HAVERFORD SCHOOL Today

Upcoming Events » haverford.org/calendar

September Classes begin 5

SEPT

HSPA Opening Coffee 7

Centennial Hall SEPT

8:30 a.m.

Lower School Parents Night 12

Centennial Hall SEPT

7 p.m.

October

November

OCT Upper School Parents Night 3

Centennial Hall

Let’s Hear it for the Boys: Party & Auction

Field House

7 p.m.

OCT All-School Conference Day 19

OCT

Middle School Cabaret

19-20 Centennial Hall

7 p.m.

SEPT Middle School Parents Night 26

Centennial Hall

NOV

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NOV Haverford/EA Day 10

The Haverford School

NOV

16-18

Upper School fall play

Centennial Hall

NOV Notables Reunion Concert 21

Centennial Hall

7 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

board of trustees, 2017-18

Oray B. Boston Jr. P’17 Caroline R. De Marco P’20 ’22 Randall T. Drain Jr. ’01 David B. Ford Jr. ’93, P’24 ’26, Treasurer Thaddeus J. Fortin ’77, P’09 Ann M. Glavin, P’14 ’16 ’20 Maurice D. Glavin ’83, P’14 ’16 ’20 William C. Hambleton William T. Harrington P’24 ’24 John F. Hollway P’18

Jason W. Ingle P’22 Barbara Klock P’23 ’23 Jeffrey F. Lee ’95 George B. Lemmon Jr. ’79, P’12 ’19 Joshua R. Levine ’94 Michael S. Lewis ’99 John J. Lynch P’10 ’12 Christopher J. Maguire P’16 ’19 Wade L. McDevitt P’28 ’30 George C. McFarland Jr. ’77

Sharon S. Merhige P’16 ’18, Secretary H. Laddie Montague ’56 John A. Nagl, Headmaster Jennifer Paradis Behle P’20 Jennifer N. Pechet P’15 ’17 Amy T. Petersen P’15, Vice Chair Ravindra Reddy ’90 Peter A. Rohr P’12 ’13 ’15 John C. Wilkins Jr. ’95 William C. Yoh ’89, P’18 ’24, Chairman

CORRECTIONS

Class Chairman Thomas Lindberg was listed in Class Notes with the Class of 2008. He is a member of the Class of 2007.

John A. Nagl, D.Phil. • assistant headmaster Mark Thorburn David S. Gold • managing editor Jessica Covello editors Dawn Blake, Jessica Covello, Emily Gee • class notes editors Andrew Bailey ’02, Dawn Blake, Jessica Covello, Emily Gee, Sheryl Kaufmann layout/design Emma E. Hitchcock • printer Intellicor, LLC., Lancaster, Pa. photographers Andrew Bailey ’02, Dawn Blake, Jessica Covello, Emily Gee, Ann Glavin, Jordan Hayman, Michael Leslie, Lisa Martin, Mike Nance, Jim Roese, and George Wood ’75 headmaster

chief financial officer

Jessica Covello, Director of Marketing and Communications; 484-417-2764; jcovello@haverford.org Please send address changes to Disty Lengel at dlengel@haverford.org. about Haverford School Today magazine is published for alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of The Haverford School. Nonprofit postage paid at Southeastern, Pa., and additional mailing offices.

Copyright © 2018 The Haverford School (all rights reserved). contact

address changes

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this publication. Special thanks to: Patrick Andrén, Charles J. Ball ’80, Tyler Bell ’89, Weston Dripps ’88, Dr. Ron Duska, Deborah Gavin, Dr. Pam Greenblatt, Matthew Green, and Meg Yeaton. special thanks

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FROM THE HEADMASTER

Celebrating Community

By John A. Nagl, D.Phil.

What a year it’s been for Philadelphia and for The Haverford School! After a fall that saw the Haverford/EA sweater departing our beloved campus for the first time in a decade – a sign outside my office notes that it is “Temporarily on loan but is scheduled to return in November 2018” – we needed a lift, and boy did we get one! Under the leadership of Nick Foles, wearing lucky No. 9, the Eagles brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Philadelphia for the first time.

On the day of the Super Bowl, our varsity squash team was in the national championship with Brunswick School for the third consecutive year, this time defending the Justi Cup. While we ultimately fell to Brunswick 5-2, two of the matches we lost went to five games. Two other Haverford teams have a credible claim to be called the greatest of all time: swimming and diving, Inter-Ac Champions for the second year in a row and, this year, winners of the prestigious Eastern Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship for the first time in School history; and basketball, which made an undefeated 10-0 run through the Inter-Ac for the first time since 1927 and finished second in the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association tournament.

Our boys are as talented academically as they are athletically, and they continue to excel on every field. Eight Upper School boys represented Haverford at the national Materials Research Society meeting with their robotic gummy actuators, winning first place of 450 entries in the poster competition – the only high school entrants in competition with professional scientists and engineers! Their cohorts on the VEX Robotics team won the State Championship for the sixth consecutive year and represented Pennsylvania at Worlds, finishing fourth.

The Middle School production of “Seussical” and Upper School’s “West Side Story” brought song and dance and joy to the Centennial Hall stage, which was also graced by one of the best speakers we’ve had at Haverford during my tenure: Professor Eric Foner of Columbia University, who won the Lincoln, Bancroft, and Pulitzer prizes for his book The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. Speaking on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination – and on the same day we held our Middle School Diversity Conference, the biggest such event in Philadelphia – Dr. Foner taught our families, our faculty, and our boys about how far our country has come, and how much more work we still have to do.

A big challenge of this year has been working to find new key leaders to ensure that this excellence on all fronts continues long into the future. Matt Green will become Head of School at the Falmouth Academy this summer after nine years leading our

Upper School, while Dr. Ron Duska will be leaving the Lower School after more than a decade of leadership. Although both will be sorely missed, we are pleased to welcome Patrick Andrén as our new head of Upper School and Dr. Pam Greenblatt as head of Lower School. Patrick, a graduate of the Brunswick School and Lafayette College, comes to us from St. Mark’s School in Dallas, where he currently serves as head of Upper School. Pam, who earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, has been directing the Haverford School’s Enrichment and Learning Center for the past three years.

Matt Green has worked from an office suite in the Upper School named after his beloved predecessor Don McBride, and the basketball team won many of its victories on a court also named in Don’s honor. Sadly, we lost Don this spring. At the celebration of his extraordinary life at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church, the standing room-only crowd heard Don’s son and Associate Headmaster Brian McBride ’82 pay tribute to a man whose wisdom, courage, and vision did so much to prepare boys for life for the decades during which he served The Haverford School. In April, we held our annual Scholarship Luncheon to recognize the donors whose generosity enables some 65 remarkable boys to attend Haverford who otherwise could not enrich our stages and studios, our fields and classrooms. Among them were the McBride Scholars, who are living memorials to the leadership of a Haverford coach and teacher who continues to inspire all of us who follow in his footsteps.

Speakers for the 2018 Scholarship Luncheon included (from left) Bob Kelly ’85, Ben Stallworth ’18, Headmaster John Nagl, and Matt Gillin ’85.

haverford.org

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VI Former Troy Gibbs-Brown, Llama man.

Student writers and artists earn acclaim The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognized several Haverford School students for their work. In writing, judged locally by the Philadelphia Writing Project, 19 student-writers earned three Gold Keys, nine Silver Keys, and 14 Honorable Mentions in the categories of Personal Essay/Memoir, Journalism, Poetry, Short Story, and Critical Essay. V Former Jackson Overton-Clark won a national Gold Key, which was awarded at a ceremony at Carnegie Hall in June, for “Perils in Young Black America.”

Judged by the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership at The University of the Arts, nine student-artists were recognized in the categories of Photography, Digital Art, Painting, and Architecture & Industrial Design, earning two Gold Keys, 11 Silver Keys, and five Honorable Mentions.

“Much of a boy’s sense of his writing abilities comes from internalizing his classroom teachers’ essay comments, grades, and the encouraging pat on the back,” said English Department Chair Tom Stambaugh ’90. “But a wider external audience – from 4

Summer 2018

readers of Pegasus, The Index, or even a hallway poster – helps a boy see himself as a writer. A boy feeling confident enough to submit his work to a national competition is another sign of an emerging writerly identity. Earning a Scholastic Writing Award further validates the writer, who can take those skills and that confidence to college and out into the world.”

Nationwide, students in grades 7-12 submitted more than 330,000 works of art and writing to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Regionally, there were 1,700 entries in the arts categories and more than 1,000 entries in the writing categories.

“The Scholastic Art Awards are a wonderful opportunity for students to be recognized for their artistic achievements,” said Zoë Blatt, Upper School art teacher. “Having artistic work celebrated by a large audience can help build creative confidence and a commitment to continued art making.”

Student work can be viewed at haverford.org/scholasticawards.

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The Index and Pegasus receive Columbia Scholastic Press Association honors

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) honored Pegasus, The Haverford School’s literary magazine, with a gold medal for the third consecutive year. The Index, the School’s student newspaper, earned a silver medal. Hundreds of high schools around the country submitted publications to CSPA for critique and review.

Additionally, VI Former and Pegasus Editor-in-Chief Robb Soslow won second place in the CSPA Gold Circle Awards in the Entertainment Reviews category for his Index article “‘It’s Me vs. Me,’ Kendrick Lamar is the Best of All Time.” Nationwide, there were more than 7,000 print news and magazine entries from students at colleges, universities, and secondary schools.

“Beyond the affirmation of our editors’ hard work last year, CSPA’s recognition is an encouraging sign of our school’s evolving writing culture,” said Tom Stambaugh ’90, English Department Chair

Thirteen students recognized as National Merit Scholars Thirteen Haverford School seniors have been recognized by the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program, and three students have been awarded a college scholarship through the competitive, nationwide program.

More than 1.6 million students around the country entered the 2018 competition by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/

and Index adviser. “Our Index writers aspire toward strong, clear, informative writing grounded in journalistic fundamentals.”

Upper School English teacher and Pegasus adviser Dan Keefe said, “We have now taken top honors for high school literary magazines for the last four years and the students deserve all of the credit.

They do amazing things with the design and layout and are always excited to change things around from one year to the next.”

CSPA is an international student press association, founded in 1925, whose goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges, textbooks, critiques, and award programs.

CSPA is owned and operated by Columbia University.

Editors of the award-winning Index (from left) VI Former Samuel Turner, Connor Lees ’17, and George Rubin ’17.

National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

The top 50,000 scorers of the test are recognized as Commended scholars. Eight Haverford students achieved this rank.

Five other Haverford students were named to Semifinalist status, representing the top 16,000 scorers of the test. The pool of semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of high school seniors nationwide.

Three of these students – Satch Baker, Grant Sterman, and Samuel Turner – were then selected as Finalists and were awarded a Merit Scholarship. Award winners are chosen based on their PSAT and SAT scores, recommendations from teachers, high school records, and a personal essay. There are 7,500 scholarship award winners nationwide.

The Haverford School’s National Merit scholars are (front row) Satch Baker (finalist), Kyle Wagner (semifinalist), Samuel Turner (finalist), Grant Sterman (finalist), and Grady Nance (semifinalist); (middle row) Commended Students Robbie Chen, Luke Egan, Matthew Tucker, Gaspard Vadot, Ben Stallworth, and Eusha Hasan; and (back row) Spencer Davis. Not pictured: Mike Schlarbaum, Commended Student.

haverford.org

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Middle School Diversity Conference marks 10th year Around 400 students representing 23 schools were on campus for The Haverford School’s 10th annual Middle School Diversity Conference on April 4.

“The theme of this year’s conference is ‘My Story Matters,’ because your story is what’s going to make a difference in our community and our country,” Director of Community Donta Evans told the students. “You have to be willing to share your story and be willing to listen to other people tell theirs, and I hope you can draw on your experiences today to do that.”

The conference is one of the largest in the country. The keynote speakers this year were Eric Axelman and Oliver “SydeSho” Arias from Pushed Learning and Media.

Axelman and Arias presented about stereotypes and bias in modern American communities, including their hometowns in New England. They also explained the cultural significance of hip-hop in telling the story of bias against African Americans, and performed spoken word pieces.

After the keynote, students broke out into small discussion groups led by high school facilitators to talk further about segregation and cultural appropriation.

Around 60 faculty and administrators completed a training on storytelling and racial literacy practices, facilitated

by Dr. Jason Javier-Watson of the Racial Empowerment Collaborative and by

in the classroom

Upper School history teacher and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Brendon Jobs.

Middle School students meet weekly as part of the I’m Not Kidding (INK) Club and have similar discussions on topics that include immigration, bias, race, and stereotypes.

“The most important thing about having these conversations is learning new perspectives,” said II Former Bram Schork.

“We learned that everyone has different points of view based on their experiences, and if you haven’t talked to someone, you can’t say you don’t like them when you just don’t understand them and what they have gone through.”

First Grade studies South America First-graders’ study of South America explores the rich cultures that make up the diverse continent. As part of this cross-curricular unit, the boys read and analyzed South American folktales to determine what they tell us about people and cultures. Following the reading of a Peruvian folktale about a snake, students created 2-D snakeskin patterns and wrote their own folktales, incorporating a moral representative of Haverford’s virtues. In math, the boys measured the distance and

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speed at which native South American animals travel, researched the animals’ height and weight, and did scale drawings of the square miles of South American countries. In music class, they learned the Peruvian song “Los Maizales.” “During this unit, boys gained further exposure to Haverford’s values of being inclusive and celebrating others, while broadening their global perspective,” said first-grade teacher Jennifer Higgins.

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Foreign Language Oral Proficiency Contest Four Haverford students – I Former Brendan Touey, III Formers Kieran Bradley and Tyler Neave, and V Former Carson Rooney – competed in the 2018 Montgomery County Association of Teachers of Foreign Language (MCATFL) James J. Doyle Oral Proficiency Contest.

The competition provides a forum for students to measure their oral skills in a foreign language alongside students from other schools in the county, according to the MCATFL website. Students

participate in several rounds of individual interviews conducted in the foreign language. Silver and gold medals are then awarded to the best speaker in each level.

Haverford students have placed in the top three for Spanish for the past six years, including gold medals in 2017 and 2018.

While no Haverford students competed in Chinese this year, they had placed in the top two for Chinese in the 2017, 2015, and 2014 contests.

“The competition is a great way

for students to practice their language skills outside of the classroom, and get affirmation that their hard work is paying off with increased fluency,” said Modern and Classical Languages Chair Javier Lluch. “Our students have consistently done well over the years. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for our students and faculty to meet their peers in the county and make connections.”

Alumni “sharks” field pitches from students Upper School students participated in their very own version of ABC’s Shark Tank as part of Entrepreneur Club. They collaborated to develop a product that could win the endorsement of a panel of Haverford School alumni and administrators. Chris Ambrogi ’09, Will Horrocks ’09, Mike Petrakis ’09, Morgan Young ’08, Headmaster John Nagl, Associate Athletic Director Michael Murphy, and other administrators evaluated pitches from several finalists. The winning product was selected through a combination of student votes and support from the “sharks.”

Finalists included a plug-in to Snapchat to enhance its performance and increase Snapstreaks; milk and cereal in a recyclable container for breakfast-on-the-go; an auto sales site that aggregates search criteria to

create the best car for your lifestyle and budget; a doughnut breakfast sandwich; and a rentable gambling kiosk.

“My goal as the Entrepreneur Club adviser is to provide an avenue for young, creative individuals to thrive,” said Brooke Kenna, Spanish teacher. Students meet weekly to share ideas and develop business plans.

“The “next big thing” won’t be some grand complicated idea, but rather a simple solution to an everyday problem,” said V Former and Entrepreneur Club Co-President Nick Pippis. “Along with the club’s Co-President Henri Waché, I created a brainstorming activity in which the members called out simple everyday problems and then worked to think of solutions. We took

the best solutions and discussed how we could put them into the form of either a product or a service. I was shocked at how effective our activity was; by the end of the meeting all the members had at least one idea for a potential business. Problem-solving is one of the most valuable skills taught in this club and I am very proud to be a part of it.”

Throughout the year, alumni attend meetings to inspire and work with the students. Anthony Martino ’09 shared his experience investing in an environmentally friendly mobile car wash, Arlin Green ’73 gave highlights from the business courses that he teaches at Saint Joseph’s University, and Morgan Young ’08 discussed the process of idea refinement and seeing an idea through to fulfillment. haverford.org

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Joseph T. Cox Servant Leadership Symposium

Caryl M. Stern

Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO of UNICEF USA, presented to Upper School students and faculty at the annual Joseph T. Cox Servant Leadership Symposium on Feb. 1.

Stern traced her own career path and shared the lessons she learned about leadership and service along the way.

She noted some humbling statistics about UNICEF’s work with children around the world. “As you sit here, 50 million children are on the move, and 15,000 children under the age of 5 will die today of causes we already know how to prevent,” she said. She challenged students to take this information and make a difference.

“Your generation will dictate how the world communicates,” Stern said. “You are the ones who will set a course for the rest of the world. We need you to scream that voice from every mountaintop, and not to forget that it is human interaction that is truly going to change our world.”

“I think what stood out to me most about Caryl is her belief in kids helping kids,” said Bill Brady, Director of Leadership Programs. “She spoke to the boys about being part of something bigger than themselves, and we hope her words and actions will inspire purpose in our community.”

The Joseph T. Cox Servant Leadership Symposium was established in 2010 by

a generous lead gift from Bobbie and Scott Addis ’74. The symposium features a presentation from a transformational leader and exposes boys to various models of effective leadership.

William Edward Gwinn ’86 Memorial Science Lecture

Dr. David Sternberg ’08

Dr. David Sternberg ’08, a guidance and control systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, presented “Exploring the Solar System through Space Systems Engineering” at the annual William Edward Gwinn ’86 Memorial Science Lecture on April 13.

Sternberg first discussed the “great foundation” he established in his years at Haverford, including joining a flying club in Form I, which led to flying lessons and his first solo flight on his 16th birthday. He continued taking a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics classes throughout Upper School, building a solid knowledge base for his college and career experiences.

“The work I’ve done over the past 10 years since Haverford has owed itself largely to the excellent educational foundation that I got here,” he said.

After graduating from Haverford in 2008, Sternberg earned a Bachelor of Science in aerospace engineering and a Master of Science in space systems engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Sternberg’s research at MIT focused on demonstrating different multi-satellite operations, as well as the verification and validation of enabling software and hardware for flight missions.

He hightlighted his work with the SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellite) system at the MIT Space Systems Laboratory (SSL), which provides a safe and reusable zero gravity platform to test technologies for use in satellites. During his time with the SSL, he also worked on Halo, a structural attachment for SPHERES that provides six expansion ports, increasing the amount of hardware usable simultaneously on a SPHERES satellite.

Sternberg completed his Sc.D. in space systems engineering at MIT in 2017 and then joined NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. He is currently working on the Lunar Flashlight and Mars Cube One (MarCO) missions.

According to JPL’s website, the Lunar Flashlight mission will map the moon’s south pole for volatiles, chemical elements and compounds with low boiling points, including ice and water, to better understand how these interact with the lunar surface.

The MarCO mission is part of NASA’s InSight mission to Mars, which launched a lander to the Red Planet in May 2018. The MarCO demonstration includes two communications-relay spacecraft that will provide NASA the ability to quickly transmit status information about the main InSight spacecraft as it cruises to, and lands, on Mars.

“The MarCO mission is the first time that CubeSats, these small, modular spacecraft, will have flown in deep space,” Sternberg said. “Space systems engineering is a challenging and fun career that requires technical focus, but the results of your work will be firsts, which is very rewarding.”

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Dr. Eric Foner, the DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, presented “The Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Constitution” at the 28th annual Davis R. Parker Memorial History Lecture on April 4. He also taught an Upper School master class and presented about Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and legacy.

During the lecture, Foner traced the history of Reconstruction, which he defined as both the period after the Civil War and as the process by which the United States “tried to come to terms with the consequences of the Civil War, the most important of which were the preservation of the nation-state and the destruction of the institution of slavery.”

Foner talked about the profound changes made to the U.S. Constitution during Reconstruction, including the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. “They didn’t just change the Constitution but they fundamentally altered it, creating a new document,” he said.

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, irrevocably abolished slavery throughout the country. The 14th Amendment was ratified in 1866 after Lincoln’s assassination. Its first section establishes the idea of birthright citizenship – that anyone born in the United States is a citizen – and all citizens are entitled to due process, privileges and immunities, and equal protection of the law.

“The 14th amendment wrote the idea of equality into the Constitution for the first time,” said Foner. “This is the most important change to the Constitution since the Bill of Rights.”

Through the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, black male suffrage was extended to the entire nation. “The advent of black male suffrage launched the period we call radical Reconstruction, when new biracial governments came into power in the South,” said Foner. “Black men for the first time in American history held public office in significant numbers.”

But ultimately, Foner noted, Reconstruction failed. By 1877, less than 10 years after the 15th Amendment was ratified, the entire South was under the control of white supremacist Democrats, who would dominate it all the way to the Civil Rights era.

“Today, most historians see Reconstruction as a noble, if unsuccessful, attempt to establish for the first time in American history an interracial democracy, and as a precursor to the modern Civil Rights movement,” said Foner.

“Reconstruction was a revolution that went backward, but that it happened at all laid the foundation for another generation a century later to try to bring to fruition its goals and aspirations and the concept of a country beyond the tyranny of race.”

Davis R. Parker Memorial History Lecture

Dr. Eric Foner

Best for Boys Speaker Series

Paul Assaiante

The Haverford School hosted “Achieving Success Through Failure” with Paul Assaiante, Trinity College squash coach and winningest coach in college sports history, on March 17. The event is part of the School’s Best for Boys Speaker Series, which invites the community to learn about topics and practices that help foster the social, emotional, and academic growth of young boys.

“We create, on a subliminal level, scary monsters in our minds. If you address them, they go away. If we can encourage young people to run to the roar, to deal with the monsters, they’ll learn how to take care of their own problems,” said Assaiante.

Assaiante stressed the importance of allowing our children to experience small failures now so that they don’t make monumental mistakes later in life.

“When I was coaching at West Point,” said

Assaiante, “there was a plaque on the wall with a MacArthur quote and it changed my life. It simply said, ‘On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days, on other fields, will bear the fruits of victory.’ What I took away from that is the concept that you learn on the fields things that will make you successful in life. You learn how to win, you learn how to lose, you learn how to strategize, you learn how to adjust on the fly, you learn to control your emotions. You learn to fail.”

Assaiante offered five tips for parents: 1. Run to the roar: teach your children

to go to their fears.

2. The awesome power of now: we

all need to live every day like our

hair is on fire. Every day is a gift not

to be squandered.

3. Let your children have seasons:

expose them to many things, and let

THEIR passions determine what direction to focus on.

4. Always go back to the beginning: what was your initial goal for your child? It was basic, and simple, and altruistic. Don’t lose focus of that.

5. Let your children fail: it is only through failure that learning occurs.

Michael Rouse ’85 introduced Assaiante. A book signing of Assaiante’s Run to the Roar: Coaching to Overcome Fear, co-authored by James Zug ’87, followed the program.

For more information, including a video of Assaiante’s “Achieving Success Through Failure” presentation, visit haverford.org/ bestforboys.

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Twenty students inducted into The Haverford School’s Cum Laude chapter Twenty Haverford School students were admitted into the Cum Laude Society during the 88th induction ceremony on April 19. Arlin Green ’73, Haverford School Lifer, Class of 1973 Key Man, Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, and former Board member, was the featured speaker.

Green said, “I suggest that you take your academic excellence and apply it to yourselves. Ask yourself, ‘What kind of person do I want to be?’ Use as many descriptive adjectives as you can find that fit the type of human being you want to be remembered as. Once you have that list, hold onto it, memorize it. In that way,

whenever you are faced with difficult decisions, you have a touchstone against which you can always ask yourself, ‘Is the decision I’m about to make going to move me closer to becoming the person I want to be, or farther away from that person?’

In this way, you will set your own personal standards.”

The Cum Laude Society, the School’s highest honor, is modeled on the college Phi Beta Kappa Society and honors academic excellence in secondary schools, selecting student members in their junior and senior years. The society is comprised of 332 chapters worldwide.

Election to Cum Laude recognizes superior academic achievement and demonstration of good character, honor, and integrity in all aspects of school life.

The Haverford School’s Cum Laude Society new inductees are faculty member Dr. Andrew Fenton; VI Formers Matthew Baumholtz, T.J. Brooks, Scott Deck, Luke Egan, James Ives, Zach Mattiola, Grady Nance, Nico Tellez, Gaspard Vadot, Will Yoh; and V Formers Nicholas Biddle, Nikhil Chakraborty, Nick Chimicles, Mickey Fairorth, Aram Lavan, Thomas Russell, Nelson Liu, Neetish Sharma, Will Vauclain, and Griffin Wada.

What are some of your favorite subjects?

My favorite subjects are English, art, phys ed, and social studies. I like to learn about people who lived so long ago; like when we studied Rome, to find out what they used to do and the differences between then and now. They didn’t have technology and their religion was a little bit different. I’m not sure I would have wanted to live back then – there was a lot of violence in Rome, people would kill their father to be the king – but it would be cool to visit.

What is the Fifth-Grade Pledge?

It’s something we say at the beginning of every English class. It makes you be a little bit more aware and it reminds you to be kind. It makes you feel like people are on your side; I think it helps a lot. Our grade is really supportive and everybody is really nice.

“I am a fifth-grade student at The Haverford School. I am respectful and committed to everyone I meet and everything I do. I always watch out for my fellow classmates. I understand that I am a role model for the younger students. But most of all, I am meant to be and do something special, and the preparation for that day starts today.”

What is your group project for the Leadership Fair?

Student Spotlight

Fifth-grader Read Kitchell

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My group is “Kids Helping Kids: The Fifth-Grade Teachers” and we go down to younger grades, usually pre-k and kindergarten, and help them out. For the pre-k rain forest project, we helped them choose an animal to research – my kids picked a jaguar and a colorful toucan. For Black History Month, we picked someone to study – I had Rosa Parks – and then paired up with the pre-kindergartners to teach them about that person.

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Faculty Spotlight

John Suter

Middle School history teacher John Suter has been named one of 20 Mentor Teachers nationwide by the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources Program. He was accepted as a Mentor Teacher after completing the Library’s Summer Teacher Institute and submitting lesson plans that demonstrate how to augment the classroom experience by using primary sources.

Suter uses a variety of primary documents and artwork in his curriculum and also designed a “Working with Primary Sources” worksheet to encourage the boys to observe, reflect, and question the historical documents with which they work.

“By making students active participants in their understanding of history, they can go beyond rote memorization and arrive at an understanding of the themes and lessons history has to teach us,” he said.

in the classroom

A humdinger of a science project With knowledge gleaned from their units on circuits and simple machines, sixth-graders launched into models and designs. They were tasked with using the design thinking process to create a “humdinger:” a physical model that hummed and dinged. Operating within the constraints of time (three class periods) and materials (D-cell battery, cell holder, motor, wooden sticks, wooden hubs, rubber bands, binder clips, paper clips, a bell, and clothespins), students created several different designs – some successful and some not. “Without any rules or a blueprint, they had to rely on their own knowledge and problem-solving skills to build and test and adjust and retest,” said Marion Jacob, science teacher. “They came to discover that there are many different ways to tackle and solve a given problem; there isn’t always one right answer.” haverford.org

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AROUND THE QUAD

in the classroom

The mathematics of poetry Students in Honors Calculus I wrote a poem about an ancient or modern mathematician to flex their research and writing muscles. Math Department Chair Susan Mitchell explained, “One of the goals of the project was to encourage the boys to learn more about the concepts and ideas that have shaped the field of mathematics. Often, mathematicians’ discoveries have been shaped by events, politics, and important moments in their lives.”

In addition to learning about a significant person in the field of mathematics, the project reinforced the

“I want to send the message that there may be situations when you are the expert in the room, but you will need to explain your ideas and evidence in a way that can be understood by everyone.” fact that being able to communicate knowledge is just as important as the knowledge itself. “I want to send the message that there may be situations when you are the expert in the room, but you will need to explain your ideas and evidence in a way that can be understood by everyone,” said Mitchell. “Similar to the exercise they do of creating original math problems and presenting them to the class, sharing these poems encourages the boys to think critically and creatively.”

IV Former Tucker Wurman wrote a poem about Ada Lovelace. “I came to realize that Ada Lovelace is a really underappreciated founder of modern computing, and I felt like writing a poem about her would be one way to pay respect to her amazing insights,” said Tucker. “I like cross-curricular activities because they introduce another interesting interpretation of some of the things we learn.”

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Summer 2018

01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010By01100100 01110011 00100001 Tucker Wurman 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01000111 Young 01110011 Ada was born in 00100001 1815 01101111 00100000 01101111 01110010 To a Lord and01000110 a Lady of no small esteem.

01100100 01110011 00100001 01101111 Her father, a poet, left when she01000111 was small, Through war and01101111 disease, he met01110010 his downfall.

00100000 01000110 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 Her mother, it’s said, was a mathematician, 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 Who was, in some ways, a new00100000 inquisition 00100001 01000111 01101111 01000110 That steered Ada clear of her late father’s path, 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 And instead directed her focus towards math.

01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 Inspiration came from a loom by Jacquard, 01101111 Which 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 worked by punching some holes in a card, 01100100 And 01110011 00100001 01000111 then the machine wove patterns from there 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 That were better than those made with practice and care.

01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 At eighteen she heard of a weekly event To which many01101111 thinkers of Ada’s day went.

00100001 01000111 00100000 01000110 Hosted by Babbage, inventor well known, 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 party was first where his engine was shown. 01101111 01000111 This 01101111 00100000 01000110 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 A difference engine that could calculate 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 figures in series that it could create.

01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 She was amazed by this brilliant machine 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 (Keep in mind, at this time, it was powered by steam).

01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01110011 Ada and Babbage, they made a01100100 great team, 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 When a few years later he told her his dream 01101111 01110010 01100100 00100001 Of making another invention 01110011 far better 01000111That 01101111 00100000 01000110 performed operations right down to the letter. 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 had a French paper on this new01101111 kind of engine 01110010 01101111 He 00100000 01000110 That Ada translated and, as Babbage mentioned, 01101111 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 She made many notes for the readers to see, 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 And her most insightful was labeled “Note G.” 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 Modern-day coding is based on this note, 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 Because of the logic and loops that she wrote.

01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 She saw the potential to make greater things, 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 Using formulas to instruct small, toothèd rings.

01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01101111 01110010 Bernoulli’s large01000110 numbers, then, Ada realized, 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 Could be formulated and clearly derived By using this engine to sum all the squares, 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 Or cubes or high01000111 powers; whatever one dares!

01110011 00100001 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 She then postulated this new kind of tech 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 Could make music and graphics with all kinds of specs.

01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 Mathematical wizardry, her big breakthrough 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 Would help Alan Turing to win World War Two. 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011 00100001 01000111 01101111 00100000 01000110 01101111 01110010 01100100 01110011

Ada Lovelace’s Code

AROUND THE QUAD

Reading Olympians Facilitated locally by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit, the Reading Olympics is a country-wide event where teams read from a list of 45 books (Middle School) and 40 books (Lower School), and then compete against other schools to answer trivia questions about them.

The questions are prepared by a collection of volunteer teachers and librarians

from Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties.

Haverford’s Middle School team won a Blue Ribbon, which was the third in a row for Form II students. “Reading Olympics is meaningful because it’s a competition, but it is still about learning and enjoyment of books,” said Charles Witmer, Form II.

In Lower School, fourth-graders earned a blue ribbon and fifth-graders earned a red ribbon. “It was so nice seeing boys reading for pleasure and getting excited about books,” said Haverford reading specialist Maia Campbell. “The award is great, but I am most proud of the fact that they are choosing to read for sport.”

Rainforest adventures Pre-kindergarten boys complete their study of the rainforest with a safari.

Donning handmade raincoats and hats, the boys bring their binoculars, cameras, and flashlights to get their passports stamped by Head of Lower School Ron Duska. They also visit the nurses’ office for an immunization talk and record the experience in their journals.

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AROUND THE QUAD

in the classroom

Socratic Seminar IV Form Modern World History students engaged in a Socratic Seminar about personal freedom and revolution. The seminar is a student-run discussion with assigned roles, including a moderator, discussants, observers, and scribes.

The exercise is named after the Greek philosopher Socrates, who believed in the power of asking questions and engaging in discussion over debate.

“The seminar demands that students not only interact with each other in ways to generate new ideas, but also places them at the center of driving inquiry in the classroom,” said Upper School history teacher Brendon Jobs. “They learn to work cooperatively and question each other intelligently and civilly.” The seminar prepared the students for a larger teambased project centered on the American, French, Haitian, and Spanish revolutions.

Read more about the Socratic Seminar on

The Big Room Blog haverford.org/blog

Philip Bishop Day Middle School Philip Bishop Day honors the legacy of Philip “Doc” Bishop.

In addition to enjoying a day of field games, sixth-graders worked in the School’s gardens, while I and II Formers weeded and planted at Project HOME’s Kate’s Place, Sharpe Park & Bird Sanctuary, and Samuel Gompers School in Philadelphia.

Philip “Doc” Bishop came to The Haverford School in 1903 from King’s College, Isle of Man, to direct gymnastic and cricket activities at the School. He remains fondly remembered as “colorful, wholesome, and engaging.” Bishop retired from the School in 1932 but continued daily visits until his death in 1938.

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Summer 2018

PARENTS

HSPA Book Fair

HSPA Faculty-Staff Appreciation Luncheon The Haverford School held its annual Faculty-Staff Appreciation Luncheon on March 16. This year’s theme, “Superheroes of The Haverford School,” was carried throughout the Dining Hall with drawings of superheroes done by pre-kindergarten and kindergarten boys. A video of faculty and staff was also shown throughout the event. Vases filled with superhero sayings and red, white, blue, and yellow tissue paper reinforced a colorful theme. Class parents Andrea Pettibone and Sharonda SmithSims, assisted by “superhero designer” parent Lee Seaman, as well as many additional volunteers, presented a delicious variety of entree items, desserts, and a gift for every employee.

Parent volunteers included (from left) Gayle Gowan, Co-Chair Andrea Pettibone, Co-Chair Sharonda Smith-Sims, Pam Carlino, Lee Seaman, and Jennifer Maddaloni.

The Haverford School Parents’ Association held its annual Book Fair Feb. 12-15 in the Lower School Multipurpose Room. The event was co-chaired by Amber Dixon and Deb Putter and was supported by many parent volunteers. Author and illustrator Tom Booth ’02 shared his love of books and illustration with Lower School and Middle School students, explaining the process of illustration from start to finish. He also signed copies of his book Don’t Blink! for the boys. A selection of Booth’s illustrations, along with a variety of other authors’ artwork, adorns the walls in the Lower School library.

(Top to bottom) Author and illustrator Tom Booth ’02 signed his book, Don’t Blink!, for Lower School boys; pre-k students Jeremiah Conner and Kyree Booth reading at the fair; Book Fair Co-Chairs Deb Putter and Amber Dixon.

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ARTS

Theater Upper School

West Side Story

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Summer 2018

Middle School

Seussical: the Musical

ARTS

Driving change through art In partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, students at The Haverford School and Shoemaker Mastery Charter School are working to conceptualize and create a 125-foot by 27-foot mural at 53rd and Lansdowne streets in West Philadelphia. The mural, funded through a generous grant from the 25th Century Foundation, is expected to be unveiled in fall 2018.

After interviewing residents regarding the past, present, and future of the neighborhood, the students began to envision a mural that speaks to the community’s energy, values, and aspirations. Mural Arts partner artist Joshua Mays of Oakland, Calif., helped the students translate their brainstorming about the future into abstract and representational drawings. He also visited

Haverford’s art classes to discuss the relationship between his work and music, and the power of combining both media.

“This image is a culmination of multiple conversations with the youth regarding futuristic possibilities and human destiny,” said Mays. “It depicts a figure representing hope and curiosity holding the seed from which all is revealed. The seed of perspective and vision (past and future) implanted and taking root within the fertility of the moment. This image is an invitation to meaning and possibility though the realms of cosmic awareness and cultural connection.”

World-renowned DJ King Britt worked with students to add a musical component to the mural. Through an app, different points on the mural are mapped to unique music and content. Students tried

their hand at designing soundtracks that will be paired with resident interviews and other sounds that are native to the neighborhood. “When people encounter the mural, we want it to be an immersive experience,” said Haverford School Art Department Chair Chris Fox. “This app will allow visitors to hear the voices and sounds that helped inspire the mural – and the students.”

“Students are energized by seeing their own ideas and drawings take on a largerthan-life form in our city,” said Zoë Blatt, Upper School art teacher. “Witnessing their art’s impact on a community can give young artists confidence as creative agents of change. The collaboration with Mural Arts has offered our students a new understanding of the role that artmaking can play in their lives.”

The Inter-A Capella Concert on April 10 featured performances by The Haverford School, The Episcopal Academy, The Shipley School, The Baldwin School, The Agnes Irwin School, and The Hill School.

Students sang pieces from a variety of cultural and historical backgrounds, from Renaissance madrigals to modern pop. The finale was “Sunday” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George,” a musical based on the famous pointillism piece by Georges Seurat.

The Haverford School Notables’ songs included Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” John Farmer’s “Fair Phyllis” (an English madrigal from the Renaissance), and Morten Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium” (a modern choral piece).

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Winter 2014-15

THE BIG PICTURE Painting party In partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia, students at The Haverford School and Shoemaker Mastery Charter School are painting a 125-foot by 27-foot mural at 53rd and Lansdowne streets in West Philadelphia. For more information, read the story on page 17.

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ATHLETICS

Winter Sports Wrap-Ups Basketball Head coach: Bernie Rogers Overall Record: 23-6 League record: 10-0 League finish: 1st place Team captains: Kharon Randolph, Christian Ray Individual accomplishments: Inter-Ac MVP – Christian Ray Markward Inter-Ac Player of the Year – Kharon Randolph Princeton Basketball Award Winners – Christian Ray, Kharon Randolph All-Inter-Ac First Team – Kharon Randolph, Christian Ray All-Delco First Team – Christian Ray All-Delco Second Team – Kharon Randolph All-Delco Honorable Mention – Gavin Burke, Christian Clover, Jameer Nelson Jr., Asim Richards All-Main Line – Kharon Randolph, Christian Ray All-Main Line Second Team – Gavin Burke All-Main Line Honorable Mention – Christian Clover, Asim Richards •

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Won the annual McBride Classic over LaSalle College High School with Christian Ray being named MVP of the Classic and Kharon Randolph and Gavin Burke being named to the All-Tournament team Won the Inter-Ac title for the first time since 1999; first 10-0 season since 1927 Two players scored their 1,000th point at Haverford – Christian Ray and Kharon Randolph Advanced to the PAISAA final, losing to The Hill School Ranked in the philly.com top 10

Ice Hockey Head coach: Daniel Goduti Overall record: 2-11-2 League record: 1-8-1 League finish: 6th place Team captains: Bobby Gibson, Cal Buonocore Alternate captains: Grey Rumain, Aidan Mantelmacher Individual accomplishments: All-IHL First Team – Bobby Gibson All-IHL Second Team – Grey Rumain

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Summer 2018

ATHLETICS

All-Delco Honorable Mention – Cal Buonocore, Bobby Gibson, Grey Rumain • Tough rebuilding season marked by growth and closely contested games • In competition for a playoff spot until the very last game of the season • Competitive series and victory over nonleague Lower Merion High School • Excellent team camaraderie and work ethic with high hopes for next season

Squash Head coach: Asad Khan Overall record: 12-3 League record: 3-1 League finish: 2nd place Team captains: Peter Miller, Grant Sterman, Samuel Turner Individual accomplishments: All-Inter-Ac First Team – Peter Miller, Spencer Yager, Samuel Turner All-Inter-Ac Second Team – Grant Sterman, Graham Joyce, Christian Shah All-MASA First Team – Peter Miller, Spencer Yager All-MASA Second Team – Samuel Turner • Lost first two matches of season and bounced back winning 11 straight to go 12-1 to finish • Runner-up to Inter-Ac Champions Episcopal Academy • Won MASA Championship avenging their loss to Episcopal, 9-0 • Finished second in the 2018 HEAD U.S. High School Team Squash Championships

Swimming and Diving Head coach: Sean Hansen Overall record: 6-0 League record: 4-0 League finish: 1st place Team captains: Alex Boratto, Gaspard Vadot, J.R. Leitz Individual accomplishments: All-Inter-Ac – Brian Brennan, Alex Boratto, Antonio Octaviano, T.J. Brooks Delaware County Male Swimmer of the Year – Alex Boratto (third consecutive year) All-Delco First Team – Alex Boratto, Brian Brennan, John Nelligan, Antonio Octaviano All-Delco Honorable Mention – Bobby Blewett, T.J. Brooks, Antonio Crescente, Jack Deppen, Pierre Koenig, J.R. Leitz All-Main Line First Team – Alex Boratto, Brian Brennan, John Nelligan, Antonio Octaviano All-Main Line Second Team – T.J. Brooks All-Main Line Honorable Mention – J.R. Leitz, Jack Deppen

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ATHLETICS

All-American – Alex Boratto, Brian Brennan, T.J. Brooks, John Nelligan, Antonio Octaviano •

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Won second consecutive Inter-Ac Championship with an undefeated season Broke 14 of 22 School records throughout the dual meet season and Inter-Acs Set three pool records at Malvern Prep Took 18 swimmers and four divers to compete at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships Won Easterns Championship with an overall score of 550.5 (Andover finished second with 537, Peddie third with 517)

Winter Track Head coach: Luqman Kolade Team captains: Sam Lindner, Will Merhige League: Track and Field Coaches Association of Greater Philadelphia Individual accomplishments: New School records – Will Merhige, mile and 3k; Petey Lemmon, shotput •

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Qualified three relays to the Meet of Champions – Distance Medley, 4x200, and 4x400 Other qualifiers for the Meet of Champions – Will Merhige, mile and 3k; Petey Lemmon, shotput; Dan Whaley, 400m; Mark Gregory, 800m; and Lamont Gregory, triple-jump Merhige placed second at the Meet of Champions and Lemmon and Whaley both placed fourth Merhige and Whaley qualified for States where Merhige placed fifth at in the mile

Wrestling Head coach: Jesse Sataloff Overall record: 4-11 League record: 0-5 League finish: 6th place Team captains: Chase McCollum, Michael Clymer Individual accomplishments: All-Inter-Ac Second Team: Chase McCollum, Ryan Shepherd, Kwaku Adubofour Inter-Ac Freshman of the Year – Jake Shaifer All-Delco First Team – Jake Shaifer, Ryan Shepherd, Chase McCollum All-Delco Second Team – Michael Clymer All-Delco Honorable Mention – Andrew Parente • Kwaku Adubofour, a second-year wrestler, placed fourth at states to qualify for National Preps • Chase McCollum beat a nationally ranked opponent (5th) in the semifinals of National Preps to earn a spot in the finals where he finished runner-up • McCollum also finished second at the PAISAA state tournament 22

Summer 2018

ATHLETICS

Student-Athlete Spotlight

Alessandro Boratto VI Form

Over the last several years, the Haverford School swimming and diving team has been on a steady incline. Year after year, the team has narrowed the gap and surpassed local powers like Malvern Prep and Germantown Academy. Their most successful reign in School history culminated with an undefeated season, back-to-back outright Inter-Ac championships, and first-ever Easterns championship. At the precipice of all of this stands Alex Boratto, considered by his coaches as the most prolific swimmer ever to compete at Haverford.

Passing him up and down the staircases of Wilson Hall, most would never know he holds 15 School records, that he’s a 12-time NISCA All-American, and a three-time Academic All-American. Alex is the first Haverford School swimmer ever to be named All-Delco Swimmer of the Year three consecutive times and atop the list all four years of Upper School for All-Delco, All-Main Line, and All-Inter-Ac teams.

Alex prides himself in representing his teammates and Haverford. Even with great individual success, Alex gives credit to all of his teammates stating, “We were able to achieve success not because of one person, but because of the team and the camaraderie amongst its members. The coaches created a competitive, fun environment where everyone could contribute and succeed.” He feels that Haverford taught him and prepared him for three very important things that he will take with him to college: personal responsibility, time management skills, and a higher level of discipline. “While Haverford celebrates athletics, academics comes first,” says Boratto.

“I have no doubt that my experience at Haverford will enable me to be successful.”

After graduation, Boratto will continue his academic and athletic career at Stanford University.

in the classroom

Sports Psychology and Performance Led by physical education teacher Jeff Potter, Sports Psychology and Performance is a Form II elective that explores the aspects of resilience, mental toughness, and being mindful. “We look at how to prepare yourself for peak performance through nutrition, exercise, sleep, hydration, and a pre-performance routine,” says Potter.

Twenty-one-year armed forces veteran and retired Navy SEAL Tim Wood P’20 ’23 recently spoke to Potter’s class about setting incremental goals, blocking out distractions, and being a good “sled dog.” Below are takeaways from his talk: “First, big goals are great to have. The problem is that most people know where they are now, they know the end point, but they probably don’t know most of the mid-points. Big goals need to be broken down into small pieces. Find those accessible resources that help them with that next little piece – the piece that should be accomplished today.

“Second, in SEAL training, the instructors keep the students wet, cold, and sandy much of the time. It makes the trainees miserable, which puts a big mental block up to the task at hand.

Many of them will fail the training evolution. Others will quit. All of them will struggle with the cold. As time passes, a few of them figure out that the mental misery does not actually have anything to do with success. They can compartmentalize performance from the shivering and the sand in their underwear. After that realization occurs, they are unstoppable. But remember that mental toughness is not about ignoring pain; it’s about ignoring

distraction.

“Lastly, in sports, everyone wants to be the hero player, but first, you need to be a good sled dog. What does a sled dog do?

It digs its paws in and pulls its share of the weight for the rest of the team, without question or hesitation. It never stops, it never complains, it is utterly reliable.”

Through this talk and others, Potter aims to expose students to a range of experiences and accomplishments and inspire them to chart their own course toward peak performance – however they define it. Other Sports Psychology and Performance speakers this year included All-American wrestler and Academic All-American Anthony Pariano (Middle School English), 10-time marathoner Jim Bumbulsky (Middle School math), and sports psychologist Donna Bencivengo.

See physical education at Haverford on twitter.com/FordsFitness or @FordsFitness

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10 things I’ve learned about

boys in a dozen years

By Dr. Ron Duska, outgoing Head of Lower School

These will be some of the keys for your boys in life, and will give them the foundation to one day be terrific parents. I am eternally grateful to have worked with such an amazing community of families at The Haverford School these past 12 years. I look forward to your boys growing up into the fine, caring young men that I see inside each and every one of them.

1

Ensure he has strong mentors

Teachers and coaches make the greatest difference in the healthy development of a boy.

As boys tend to be less intrinsically motivated, they can need a bit more guidance and prompting at times. The best mentors know which sparks will ignite his energies, while helping to reinforce pathways for growth and maturity.

Provide guardrails

Boys need explicit boundaries and rules and greatly benefit from the structure they provide. Saying “no” to your son is necessary and healthy, and something that he needs to hear often. Boys need chiseling and molding. Consequences, given in a reflective way, help to do that. Give him simple rules and be consistent in follow-through, letting consequences teach valuable lessons.

Celebrate failures

Don’t be afraid to let your son fail! Our greatest learning experiences happen when we fail and find a way to work through that failure to achieve a successful outcome. It can be easy to protect our children from failure, but we need to learn to understand the value of helping our kids learn how to handle it. Let your son’s life have some elements of unpredictability and uncertainty. Learning how to deal with failure happens through repeated practice, and will help your son become comfortable with employing a healthy approach managing uncertain times.

Find the prize in the effort, not the result

If you find that your son only pays attention to who wins or what grade he receives, rather than the importance of what went into earning the win or the grade, he might struggle to build the essential skills of persistence and a growth mindset. Focusing solely on the result reinforces a fixed mindset, which deters boys from trying new things they perceive they are “not good at.” Focus on the effort your son gives, not necessarily the result. Praising the effort you observe, rather than the win or his good grade, will train him to build to his potential, maintain effort, and lessen complacency.

Reinforce competency and purpose

All boys want to demonstrate competency and play contributing roles on teams, with friends, and with family. Give them important work, and let them know how much it contributes to the team or family. This can be done easiest by starting with his areas of interest, or areas for which he is naturally wired. Encourage him to lead in those areas where he can demonstrate competency and ability. If he is organized, let him schedule things. If he is strong, let him move things. If he loves science or history, nourish those passions and have him dive into those subjects independently.

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Summer 2018

6

Realize boys are linear thinkers

There can be beauty in a frame of mind that does not multitask or focuses on one thing at a time. Boys want to solve problems and fix things; they feel great when they are able to jump in, with confidence and competence, and help those around them. This one-track thinking helps to keep boys (and men) determined, on task, and focused to accomplish a goal.

Be a lifeguard parent

As parents, we can get in our child’s developmental way by doing too much to build a “perfect path.” Parents often take over too many responsibilities that belong to the child, unintentionally impeding their child’s full development. Dedicate yourself to becoming a “lifeguard parent,” not a “helicopter parent” (hovering) or “snowplow parent” (smoothing bumps out of the road). Jump in, direct, and set safe conditions in which your son can navigate in a healthy fashion. Periodic stress is OK and can result in increased creativity, productivity, and resilience. Distress is not OK.

Give him a little more time

We can often be impatient with our sons, feeling that he needs to begin living up to “his potential.” It may be the case that he just isn’t ready to do all that he is being asked to do. It is important for us to detach ourselves from the struggles and check to see if our son is developmentally ready to do what we are asking. Often, there is magic in giving our sons a little more “baking time” to learn those skills with which he struggles.

With the pressure off, there is often more success in working to get him on track and to that next level.

9

Remember that boys and girls are different

Experts are aware that boys typically develop at least a year behind girls in reading, writing, fine motor skills, and maturity. As a result, boys can become inhibited, deflate easily, give less effort, or even begin to ascribe certain subjects as “girl things.” In a boys’ school, everything is worth learning, and boys explore how to play an instrument, sing in the choir, paint, and draw. Because competence in all forms is respected in a healthy boys’ school environment, each boy is encouraged and respected for the expertise he has developed.

10

Love, discipline, and encouragement

No set of rules, even when fully followed, will make a perfect life. Life is meant to be difficult and being a parent of a child is the toughest job anyone has. When in doubt of what to do with your son, shower him with the three ingredients that will make him thrive: love, discipline, and encouragement. Give him a hug every day and tell him you love him. Be clear with him what you value and expect, hold him to those expectations, and let the consequences teach him. Let him know that you know he can do it; help him see the small steps that lead him in his life’s journey.

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Incoming Why did you choose Haverford?

Meet Pam Greenblatt

While pursuing a master’s degree in speech language pathology, I did clinical work in a hospital, a high school, a voice clinic, and an elementary school. I went on to work in an early intervention preschool in south Philadelphia and realized how much I loved working with kids and teachers. I knew that long-term, I wanted to be in a school that took a team-based approach to students. At Haverford, we are all working as a team to create a learning environment that is best for boys. Building instructional experiences with teachers and gaining input from school counselors, learning specialists, and division heads demands a real investment in your students.

How do you believe Haverford meets the needs of boys?

Dr. Pam Greenblatt, formerly Director of the Enrichment and Learning Center at The Haverford School, is Haverford’s Head of Lower School effective July 1, 2018.

She follows Dr. Ron Duska, who served the School from 2006-18.

Teachers have a heightened awareness of who boys are and take that into consideration when designing lessons and experiences in the classroom. They know that long periods of sitting and listening are not optimal, that deeper learning happens when they can use their hands, that boys are sensitive and need encouragement.

The focus on what is best for boys’ development also weighs into curriculum and program decisions; when evaluating trends in education we can look through the lens of how potential changes could benefit each and every boy, realizing that each student develops and masters academic, physical, and social/emotional skills at a different pace.

Why did you choose to be an educator?

Meet Patrick Andrén

During college, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the people who were important to me in my life. When I came home on college breaks I found myself hanging out at school and checking in with my teachers. It was then that I realized I wanted to share the joy that comes from being part of a person’s educational journey, so I became a history teacher. After graduating from Lafayette College, I took a job as a middle school teacher at the Rectory School in Pomfret, Conn. I remember the wonder and energy of my first day, and although it wasn’t without its growing pains, I was hooked.

Since then, I have appreciated being part of this wonderfully complex time in students’ lives, when they’re figuring out who they are and where they’re going.

Why did you choose Haverford?

Patrick Andrén, formerly Head of Upper School at St. Mark’s School of Texas, is Haverford’s Head of Upper School effective July 1, 2018. He follows Matthew Green, who served the School from 2009-18.

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From the moment I stepped on campus, I could feel the positive energy from students, faculty, and parents. It was clear that this is a place that takes seriously its commitment to helping boys become good men. What was also evident is that while Haverford has a strong sense of its own identity, the community continues to look for ways to create an even more powerful experience for its students. It is an aspirational place. This type of community ethos is what made my own experience as a student at an all-boys school so powerful.

What opportunities exist in Haverford’s Lower School?

We have to keep an eye toward maintaining tradition, while still being innovative. What is being demanded of good education right now is that our students be prepared for a culture and future that we can’t predict. To this end, in the Lower School, we implemented differentiated instruction in 2016 and design thinking in 2017 and are establishing how these initiatives can support and enhance one another. Our Middle and Upper Schools have also implemented their own versions of design thinking in the form of Minimester, Xcursion Days, and Intellectual Curiosity Day. The principle is that these are shaped around student passions and interests and collaborative problem-solving to help meet the demands of the future job market and society.

What is design thinking?

Design thinking isn’t new. However, as educational research points to the need for students to have agency in learning, and as the job market indicates that students need to work collaboratively, have strong communication and critical thinking skills, and be innovative and creative, design thinking is finding its way into education. Design thinking is the mindset from which teachers approach classroom instruction. It relates to the “why, what, how” of teaching, which results in a classroom experience that is more about the learning process than the outcome. While the critical academic foundations of reading, writing, and math require some

level of explicit instruction, our teachers are challenging students on skills like problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.

One of the beautiful things about independent schools is that we can innovate fairly quickly. If you look at what the marketplace is expecting from our children, and how schools are set up, there’s a mismatch. Design thinking is one of the ways we can shift that paradigm to allow students to thrive in this new era.

Who are you outside of the classroom?

I find inspiration in my two children, who are early in their academic careers. It is my hope that they will remain curious about their world and develop their own ways to consume and process knowledge. I have a creative soul and an optimistic outlook.

Dr. Pam Greenblatt joined The Haverford School in 2014 as director of the Enrichment and Learning Center. She worked in several capacities at AIM Academy, most recently as director of curriculum and instruction. Greenblatt holds a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s degree in speech and language pathology from The George Washington University, and a double bachelor’s degree in psychology and speech and hearing science from The George Washington University.

What is unique about an all-boys education?

What are some of the ways learning should adapt?

I attended the all-boys Brunswick School and have worked in both single-sex and coed environments. I think that I have a deep understanding of the way boys learn, the way they see the world, and the way they interact with each other. What is so special about boys’ education is that we can create an environment that will challenge boys to stretch themselves, to take risks, and to be vulnerable. I love when our boys try things that they never would have imagined themselves doing.

Technological innovation, globalization, an evolving job market, and changing demographics are challenging schools to ask questions about what they do and how they do it. I see our role in high school as really creating a launching pad for college and for life. We can achieve that through implementing things like projectbased learning and ensuring diversity in the curriculum in terms of our sources and the types of teaching we engage in. Asking questions – practicing reflective teaching – should be constantly in our mind.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Relationships and relevancy. Boys, especially, want to know that you know them and that you’re with them – that you’re paddling alongside them when it comes to achieving their goals. They want us to know what is going on in their lives, what their interests are, and what their hopes and aspirations are.

Boys also want to know the “why” behind their learning, so we show them what we’re learning, why it’s important, and how they can use it. I believe that when students know they’re part of a community, when they understand the common goal that we are working toward, and when we know and understand each other, the learning environment is more powerful. Good education is a balance between tried-and-true methods like relational teaching, and adapting as the outside context continues to change.

Who are you outside the classroom?

I have four boys ages 14 and under; family is my pride. Like any self-respecting history teacher, I have too many books and I love to read. As time goes on, I increasingly enjoy spending time outdoors walking and hiking.

Patrick Andrén joins The Haverford School from St. Mark’s School of Texas, a grade 1-12 boys’ school. His administrative and teaching experience includes dean of academics at Pomfret School, director of college counseling at Marianapolis Preparatory School, and history teacher at Brunswick School. He earned an M.A. from Columbia University and an A.B. from Lafayette College. Andrén attended the all-boys Brunswick School from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, graduating in 1993.

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A joyful noise

By Matt Green, outgoing Head of Upper School

loquacious professor clad in unsurprising When asked to reflect on my nine years tweed peering suspiciously at potential as head of Upper School at Haverford, miscreants under wire-rimmed glasses. this one-time Catholic now self-professed In short, my memory of that school has secular humanist is reminded of Psalm very little in common with my memories 98 of the King James Bible, in which we of this school and the joyful noise and are urged to “make a joyful noise unto the organized mess, of both the literal and Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Because what I will metaphoric variety, that I have come to love. remember most about Haverford, what I value most about “I am actually talking about the messy business Haverford, is the noise. The noise and of helping young people grow up, of doing my the mess. small part so that good boys wrestling with First, the noise. timeless questions of right and wrong on stages As a recent college large and small become great men, men of graduate looking to break into the character and conviction. ” education business, I was invited to interview at an all-boys independent school The Haverford I love and will always remember bursts with youthful in suburban Boston. I must have arrived exuberance, boys emerging from Mr. between periods but what struck me most Maley’s class marveling at how smart he about that school was that the halls and is; boys remaining after class for just a few other common spaces were immaculate, more minutes of storytelling with Mr. carpets seemingly freshly vacuumed, waste bins recently emptied, picture frames perfectly parallel to the floor, furniture at right angles, not so much as a single sheet of notebook paper left to attest to what I assumed to be true: that boys were going to school here. And not only that, it was silent. I mean, there were several hundred boys and their teachers somewhere, presumably behind the classroom doors that stretched down hallways like prison cells. Now equal parts puzzled and curious, I ventured down one such hall and peered through a small window into a class, where not surprisingly, I discovered 16 virtually identical uniformed boys sitting in rows paying silent homage to a grizzled but 28

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Keefe; wet-handed boys, sleeves half-rolled up, clay smeared on cheeks, crouched over wheels in the ceramics studio, Mr. Raeder’s latest (and therefore hippest) playlist cranking; from the Engineering and Design Studio, the piercing buzz of a steel saw sinking its teeth into a plank of wood guided by the caring hands of a goggled, aproned would-be carpenter; Ms. Kenna’s playful but insistent question: “Hola, chicos! Donde estas sus chaquetas?”; two boys almost coming to blows over the Smoot Hawley Tariff, their spirited debate spilling out of Ms. Turlish’s classroom and persisting until both realize today is “blackjack chicken day” in the Dining Hall and they had better make haste.

I will remember the feeling on Friday at 2:45 p.m. outside my office, boys jostling one another, chattering about weekend plans, sweeping up their scattered possessions … lunch boxes, pairs of – or, more likely, just one – shoe, crumpled review packets, blazers (hopefully their own) being stuffed haphazardly into

backpacks. I will remember fierce games of ping pong, happy birthdays – real and fake – clusters of boys sharing parallel play moments of fellowship, gently teasing each other with a brand of sarcasm particular to Haverford; a wit that will unite boys present, past, and I expect future.

So, my nine years at Haverford have been gloriously and joyfully noisy. But, not surprisingly, they have also sometimes gotten a little messy. You may think I am referring to the backpacks and duffels piled outside my office, or our pop-up lost-andfound table littered with unlabeled blazers, binders, boots, and bags, messy to be sure, but I am actually talking about the messy business of helping young people grow up, of doing my small part so that good boys wrestling with timeless questions of right and wrong on stages large and small become great men, men of character and conviction.

I once read an article expressing admiration for the premise of the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” a show

in which host Mike Rowe visits with folks who have, as you might expect, dirty jobs. With the utmost respect and not an ounce of condescension, he spends the day working alongside steamship boiler cleaners, disaster clean-up crew members, coal miners, smokehouse pit cleaners, sewage plant workers, and other hardworking folks whose job it is to clean up the messes that the rest of us make.

Rowe would likely feel quite at home at Haverford, where I have had cause to utter familiar expressions such as, “What a mess,” to describe a tricky disciplinary issue (usually related to the rise of social media during my tenure). Or, “He’s just a mess,” to describe a boy who just cannot get out of his own way. Or even, “It’s going to get messy,” as a colleague and I dig into the richly complex and often overlooked or minimized emotional inner lives of young men.

Life at Haverford, like life, I suppose, has been messy in the most challenging and satisfying ways, and I certainly hope

my tenure here will be remembered by most as “a job well done.” I’d never contend that things didn’t get messy. They did and they do. Instead, I take comfort in the belief that whatever success we have enjoyed, whatever personal growth each of us has experienced, whatever meaningful relationships we have been fortunate enough to enjoy, are rooted less in the steps we have taken to avoid making messes and more in the steps we have taken to clean them up and the lessons we have learned along the way. When the proverbial, “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it” moments have arisen, I have tried to be that someone who cleaned it up and will always be grateful to the many faculty, parents, and especially students who pitched in, the people who, in her poem “To Be of Use,” Marge Piercy praises for their willingness to “harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,/ who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,/who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,/who do what has to be done, again and again.”

One of the reasons I will always love Haverford is how frequently boys, past, present, and I suspect future, mention that they have made friends for life here.

Please count me as one of them, boys.

Thank you for willingly wading with me into the uncomfortable muck and mire of meaningful relationships and into the messy business of doing the right thing, even when it was not popular or convenient.

And thank you for all of the joyful noise; may it echo in my ears, as it will in these halls, for many years to come.

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Haverford then & now: a look inside the archives Tucked in a back hallway on the lower level of Wilson Hall is room 003. At first glance, you might think you’ve stumbled across Haverford’s storage closet with its boxes of papers, books, T-shirts, and random ephemera stacked floor-to-ceiling.

However, room 003, Haverford’s archives, is home to the School’s most unique objects dating back to its founding in 1884.

Until the School’s archives were established in the late 1990s, Haverford’s memory was collected and told by the people who lived it. In the 1970s, librarians Thomas Harrison and David Brown began advocating for the archives when they realized many school records were lost or deteriorating and many of the people from the School’s early years were moving on or passing away. In the late 1990s, librarians Lisa Snyder and Linda Hilton set aside a space in Severinghaus Library for the school archives and Geraldine Pappas was appointed the first Haverford archivist.

Sandy Mercer took over as archivist from 2002-16, after more than three decades of

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teaching European and world history. With a love for the School, a passion for history, and great knowledge of the Haverford community, Mercer played an integral part in building and organizing the archives.

In June 2016, I took the reins. My love of artifacts and unique items was piqued after spending several years working as a photo archivist for the New York City Department of Records, where I cataloged and preserved NYPD crime scene photos dating back to the late 19th century.

Although my days were spent staring at gruesome images, these photos gave me the opportunity to learn more about the city. Behind the arrests and death scenes were the speakeasies, delis, tenements, street corners, and grocers that told the stories of the New York City I had only read about in books.

When I began rifling through the boxes in the Haverford archives, I saw 133 years come to life. The stories of the institution and the individuals who are part of it can be pieced together through the photos,

By Meg Yeaton, Library Services Coordinator and Archivist

notebooks, letters, newspapers, sports uniforms, lunch tickets, and meeting minutes. We are then able to provide a context for the present at Haverford.

Our archives not only serve the essential purpose of preserving the School’s rich institutional history, but they provide Haverford students with the chance to come face-to-face with artifacts that tell the stories of the boys and young men who came before them.

People have been preserving records since ancient times. Clay tablets and papyrus used to document daily life, finances, and real estate records have been found dating back to 690 B.C. Rome’s state archives were built between 121 and 60 B.C., and contained government records as well as the records of prominent Roman families. In order to document freedoms obtained during the French Revolution, France created the first modern archives, collecting all prerevolutionary public and private records that were seized by insurgents. According to French law, the

Program and cast photograph from the production of “Down in Maine” held at the Merion Cricket Club, March 9, 1912

Front page of The Index, 1890.

The first issue of The Index was published in November 1888. The Index originally printed all lectures that were delivered to Haverford students and served as more of a literary magazine than a school newspaper.

Deed transferring Haverford’s property from Charles Crosman and Sarah Fuller to Edwin Wilson for $1 when Wilson took over as headmaster in 1912

For more information on the history of The Haverford School, visit haverford.org/history for a written account by eighth headmaster Joseph T. Cox.

Are you looking for records of Haverford classmates, family members, teachers, or coaches?

Do you have unique mementos from your time at Haverford that you would like to share?

The School’s collection is in particular need of copies of The Index from 1935 to 1963.

Please contact Meg Yeaton at myeaton@haverford.org.

VI Former Samuel Turner profiled archivist Sandy Mercer in a recent Index article, “Farewell to Mr. Mercer, after 52 years of service.”

The piece earned Turner a Gold Key in the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Find it at havindex.com.

The Haverford Grammar School dictation notebook of Lowell Jones, 1902

Pennant from between 1901 and 1903 when The Haverford School was called The Haverford Grammar School

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archives were public property. Nearly 150 years later, the U.S. followed suit and created the National Archives to preserve and provide access to U.S. government records.1 PRESERVING THE PAST

Rapidly advancing technology in the 21st century has brought a new set of challenges for archivists. First, how do we preserve information when data formats are so quickly antiquated? For example, a large portion of The Haverford School archives collection is audio/ visual material (204 VHS tapes, 300 16-mm, 25 8-mm, nine Betamax tapes, countless DVDs). How many people still have a working Betamax player? To avoid losing the footage, it is necessary to migrate the information to a modern format. This is a continual process, as every “modern” format eventually becomes obsolete. Additionally, how do we capture information that is born-digital?

Tangible items like letters, newspapers, and photographs are easier to collect and preserve than the overwhelmingly abundant digital information like emails, blog posts, websites, and digital photographs. Archivists must be informed

“Our archives not only serve the essential purpose of preserving the School’s rich institutional history, but they provide Haverford students with the chance to come face-to-face with artifacts that tell the stories of the boys and young men who came before them.” regarding the latest advancements in technology in order to properly preserve history.

Like the National Archives and other libraries and research institutions around the country, Haverford understands the need to digitize and memorialize these tangible pieces of history. About a year ago, I began digitizing some of Haverford’s archival collection. Digitizing not only preserves information that is in danger of deterioration, but it also provides greater

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access to collections. Through digitization, museums and archives have been able to create online exhibits that can be accessed from the comfort of home. It is now possible to roam the galleries of the Louvre or peruse the Vatican’s incunabulum collection from across the globe. When our yearbook digitization project is complete next year, you will be able to browse any copy of the Haligoluk remotely.

Most digitizing must be outsourced to companies that have the appropriate technology, making these projects incredibly costly. Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize those items in danger of rapid deterioration and those that will provide the greatest benefit to our community in the form of increased access.

LEARNING FOR THE FUTURE

It is my hope that we can begin using The Haverford School archives in classrooms to support student projects and research.

Presenting students with primary sources from the archives can provide a unique way for students to engage with history.

Studies have shown that students who use primary sources as a means to present a historical topic are more engaged than those who do not.2 However, primary source analysis is challenging since it calls for students to think critically in order to place artifacts in context, while

also interpreting information that is, at times, conflicting. Our archives can provide students with the opportunity to strengthen their critical thinking skills in a way that is relevant and tangible.

The Haverford School has seen many changes since its founding, but there are many traditions we’ve held on to. Former archivist Sandy Mercer stated, “The School is fortunate over the years to have had a number of very good, even remarkable, people and one can’t help but learn a little bit from each and every one of them.”

Looking at our past can help us understand who we are today; with this awareness we decide who we desire to become.

1 Hunter, Gregory S. Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives: A How-to-Do-It Manual. 2nd ed.

New York: Neal-Shuman Publishers, 2003.

2 Morgan, Denise N., and Timothy V. Rasinski. “The Power and Potential of Primary Sources.” The Reading Teacher, vol. 65, no. 8, 2012, pp. 584-594. www.jstor.org/stable/41853136.

Meg Yeaton is the library services coordinator and archivist for The Haverford School. She worked as a New York Police Department photo archivist at the New York City Municipal Archives and spent seven years teaching eighth grade science in Brooklyn.

Yeaton received her M.L.S. from Queens College.

Creating systems thinkers: Weston Dripps ’88

Executive Director, David E. Shi Center for Sustainability and Associate Professor, Furman University

By Jessica Covello

Growing up, Weston Dripps ’88 spent his time exploring Bryn Mawr College’s mineral collection, searching for garnets in road outcrops in Gladwyne, and unearthing fossils from the shale pit at his aunt’s farm in upstate New York. His house is filled with relics of discoveries past and present, from the femur bone of a dinosaur to the tail of a rattlesnake and vials of gems.

Dripps’ fascination for rocks and minerals has evolved into educating the next generation of what he refers to as “systems thinkers” at Furman University, including designing the country’s first and only degree program in sustainability science at a liberal arts institution.

“I discovered science early and loved it; I was the kid on the corner with a rock stand instead of lemonade,” says Dripps.

“My earliest inspiration was Byron Eskra in sixth grade. Our capstone experience included building a rock and mineral collection. As part of that, I spent time at Bryn Mawr College in the rock room, where different types of light caused the rocks to fluoresce various colors. It was through that project that I realized colleges had incredible collections and resources, and that I could actually study to become a geologist.”

Dripps calls himself an “opportunist” during

his years at Haverford, getting involved in everything from student council tree sales to yearbook and spending time on the campus where his father, Craig Dripps ’65, taught math and coached tennis. “I started at Haverford in kindergarten, and the kids I grew up with became my lifelong friends,” says Dripps. “My dad taught at Haverford for a long time, so I grew up with the campus as my playground.”

After graduating from The Haverford School, Dripps went on to study geology at Amherst College. He volunteered as a docent at the on-campus Beneski Museum of Natural History, which houses the largest dinosaur footprint collection in the world, and worked closely with a sedimentologist. That mentorship developed into spending summers in Montana collecting dinosaur fossils and data, and then into undergrad thesis research mapping the sedimentary layers in the Crazy Mountain Basin. “While doing my thesis work, I lived in a tent for three months up an old abandoned road,” says Dripps. “I had

a camp stove and a tent, and I would drive down to the nearest town to call my parents from a pay phone every week to let them know I was still alive. It was the true Wild West!” He recalls lugging gallons of fresh water to his campsite, washing off in the creek, seeing porcupine, bears, and elk, and having regular run-ins with rattlesnakes.

After that invigorating experience and graduating from Amherst College, Dripps moved to Tucson, Ariz., for a summer internship with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Resources Division. “I was trying to be practical,” says Dripps.

“I loved geology, but thought I would be more marketable if I pursued a career in water resources.” His summer in Arizona had him running all over the state doing a variety of water-related field projects – while surviving the extreme summer heat. “‘It is a dry heat,’ everyone would tell me, but I would remind them so is an oven,” jokes Dripps. “Working out in the deserts of western Arizona in July is an experience like no other.”

From there, Dripps explored a range of roles. He earned a master’s degree in earth science from Dartmouth College and traveled around the world working as an exploration geologist and consultant in search of oil, gas, and water. But it was a stint teaching 10th grade Earth Science at a boarding school in the Swiss Alps that changed the trajectory of his career. “I had been a teaching assistant in college and graduate school, but in Switzerland I was completely in charge of the content and design of a course from start to finish; I absolutely loved

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that challenge,” says Dripps. “I was living in the Swiss Alps at the base of the Matterhorn and could talk about glaciers in class and then take students out to the base of a glacier that afternoon. It was experiential learning at its best! I knew I wanted to be a teacher.”

Dripps went on to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in geology and geophysics. He spent a year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a researcher in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department before taking his first job in higher education as an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts – Boston. “I loved my three years at UMass, but when an opening at Furman University became available, I jumped at the opportunity to be at a liberal arts institution where teaching, not research, was the emphasis.”

“Although I am trained as a classical geologist, since coming to Furman in 2005, my interest and work have expanded to include environmental science, and more recently sustainability science.

When people think of earth science, rocks, minerals, and fossils come to mind, but they often don’t understand the breadth of earth systems science and its impact on our daily routines: the water we drink, the air we breathe, the soil that grows our food, and the energy we generate.”

Dripps brings this broader systems perspective to Furman, where for the past two years he has split his time between teaching earth science and environmental science courses and leading the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability. The center’s focus is to infuse sustainability across the curriculum and to get students thinking about long-term environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Recent decades have seen the emergence of sustainability as a concept central to the development and future of humankind.

As Dripps explains, sustainability science is a rapidly emerging interdisciplinary field that aims to develop a deeper and more fundamental understanding of the critical linkages between environmental, social, and economic systems at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Within this new discipline, Furman has been at the cutting edge of curriculum development with a science major in sustainability science, which Dripps helped create.

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Weston Dripps ’88 on a field trip with students to look at the impacts of urbanization and urban runoff on stream habitat, stream stability, and water quality.

“The grand challenge of sustainability science lies in finding ways to elevate the standard of living for all humans above the necessary social foundation that protects against critical human deprivation while at the same time lowering the environmental impact below the crucial natural thresholds, and in doing so, live within what economist Kate Raworth deems ‘the safe and just operating space for humanity,’” says Dripps. “The challenge of moving into this space for humanity is complex because social and planetary boundaries are interdependent.

It really becomes a question of equity reallocation if we want those without to have a chance at even a basic quality of life, and that will be hard. At Furman we are encouraging students to become systems thinkers, to tackle issues as a whole rather than through a disciplinary lens only. Our faculty are now working across traditionally siloed disciplines co-teaching, hosting workshops, and conducting research with students. This is from where the solutions for today’s sustainability problems will emerge.”

As part of the sustainability science degree, students must complete either a thesis or a group practicum project. “We want students to have to grapple with a real world sustainability problem and come up with viable solutions as part of their education,” notes Dripps. This past year, Dripps helped a group of 16 students work to address and develop detailed, integrated, and holistic vision and master plans for different sustainability campus sectors, including alternative

transportation, eco-friendly landscaping, and sustainable food systems. Each of these projects is a launching point for systems thinking.

“We’re not training someone to go work in a sustainability job in a hospital or grocery store per se; we’re creating systems thinkers and allowing students to apply that philosophy and framework to whatever career they choose. We are giving students the tools to maximize their opportunities and impact their world.”

Weston Dripps ’88 was a Lifer at The Haverford School and the Key Man of his class. He went on to study geosciences at Amherst College (B.A.), Dartmouth College (M.S.), and the University of Wisconsin (Ph.D.). While pursuing his degrees, Dripps worked as an exploration geologist in the oil, gas, and water sector, an environmental consultant, a hydrogeologist, and a high school teacher. Following his doctorate degree, Dripps was a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering and an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts – Boston. He joined the faculty at Furman University in 2005, where he is executive director of the David E. Shi Center for Sustainability and associate professor of earth and environmental sciences.

Dripps has won Furman’s Meritorious Teaching Award (2008), Student Organization Advisor of the Year (2009), Engaged Living Award (2013), and Meritorious Advising Award (2015).

There’s always something happening at Haverford.

See more.

Facebook: facebook.com/haverfordschool | Instagram: @haverfordschool | Twitter: @haverfordschool SmugMug: haverfordschool.smugmug.com | Vimeo: vimeo.com/haverfordschool | Blog: haverford.org/blog

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ALUMNI

to identify threats associated with terrorist groups attempting to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction in the Pacific theater.

In 1998, I ran for Congress in California and won the Republican nomination but lost in the general election. I quickly became aware that in order to win in a competitive district, you need time and you need (lots of) money.

ALUMNUS SPOTLIGHT

Charles J. Ball ’80

Deputy assistant secretary of defense for threat reduction and arms control, Office of the Secretary of Defense Dr. Charles J. Ball ’80 attended The Haverford School from fifth through 12th grade. He earned a B.A. from Duke University and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.

In January 2018, Ball was appointed deputy assistant secretary of defense for threat reduction and arms control in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, part of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He also serves as a member of the Navy Reserve.

You were recently appointed to a position in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. What led you to that job?

I believe that it was a combination of my reserve military background, my having run for Congress, and my extensive involvement at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the area of countering weapons of mass destruction that ultimately led to my being offered this opportunity to serve.

After I left Haverford, I went to Duke University where I double-majored in political science and German literature.

Then I had a one-year fellowship to study political science at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, and did my Ph.D. in international relations at the London School of Economics.

I became a postdoctoral fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory and at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where I eventually became an employee.

In 1996, I joined the U.S. Navy Reserve as an intelligence officer. After 9/11, I was mobilized to a weapons of mass destruction analysis cell for the Pacific command. Our role was

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“I have always felt a responsibility to do my small part to contribute to our country’s national defense, for despite our manifest flaws there is no nation that has contributed so much to freedom for other people. Nor is there another country that can act as the ultimate guarantor of peace and stability in an increasingly chaotic world.”

What inspired you to join the Navy Reserve and run for Congress?

In both cases, I was motivated by an obligation to serve. People are often frustrated about what’s happening in politics, or by the fact that they can’t find a candidate who reflects their views. If you don’t like the candidate, try running yourself – but trust me, that doesn’t always work out!

On a more serious note, while it was not articulated explicitly, there was an implicit message conveyed at Haverford that to whom much is given much is expected. And in my case, from a young age my family stressed how lucky we were to live in the United States. My mother is an immigrant whose parents were driven from Germany and my father fought in World War II. I have always felt a responsibility to do my small part to contribute to our country’s national defense, for despite our manifest flaws there is no nation that has contributed so much to freedom for other people. Nor is there another country that can act as the ultimate guarantor of peace and stability in an increasingly chaotic world.

Share a favorite Haverford memory.

It was demanded of us that we behave as gentlemen. The teachers always led by example; it wasn’t just about lecturing – they walked the walk. Haverford was, for me, like being part of a very large family. Neil Buckley comes to mind as an example of how a family atmosphere was fostered. He was a teacher and coach who dedicated his whole life to the School. If you came by the School on a Saturday or Sunday, his car would often be in the parking lot and he would be in his classroom strategizing about next year’s wrestling team. I remember, as a little guy in sixth grade, looking at the banners of wrestling championships and how they engendered a sense of tradition that was inspiring.

ALUMNI

What are some of your favorite Haverford memories?

I remember places best: Centennial Hall, the soccer field, the wrestling room, and the classroom at the top of Wilson Hall with the defunct telescope mount outside the window. I started chorus in Michael Stairs’ first year, wrestled heavyweight under Neil Buckley, and played goalie in four EA matches with Coach Joe Tatta. I remember being told at the time that Haverford events will “stay with you forever.” Good guidance, but it’s not the events that were special; it was the joyful mélange of ingredients – a brain and body in overdrive, inspiring teachers, odd and fantastic peers, and the potential of an unwritten future – joined to etch indelibly a shared remembrance of Haverford. That, and countless trips to Don McBride’s office for dress code violations.

I went to Oxford after Carleton to do a two-year master’s program in the archaeology of western Europe. I stayed on to do my Ph.D. on the transition from late Roman to early medieval culture, formerly called the “Dark Ages.” I’ve always been interested in liminal periods, and things falling apart, so I looked specifically at how Roman ruins were reused by the Anglo-Saxons. I took

“I remember being told at the time that Haverford events will “stay with you forever.”

Good guidance, but it’s not the events that were special; it was the joyful mélange of ingredients – a brain and body in overdrive, inspiring teachers, odd and fantastic peers, and the potential of an unwritten future – joined to etch indelibly a shared remembrance of Haverford.

That, and countless trips to Don McBride’s office for dress code violations.” in Syria, Peru, Italy, and elsewhere, though most of my fieldwork was in the U.K. I was very fortunate – I could lose myself in the library for eight hours a day, and spend three months a year in the field traveling to unusual places. The entire experience was a hugely challenging indulgence.

Tell us about your role at Roku.

I’m the product lead for voice services at Roku, looking specifically at how voice can be used to augment the delivery of entertainment – movies, music, TV, video, and sports. In 2006, my family and I moved from the U.K. to Silicon Valley, where I spent about 10 years working on digital maps and geolocation tech, so it was time for something new. A number of emergent technologies have evolved from the combination of tools for largescale data analysis, cheap storage, and distributed processing; Machine Learning (ML) is probably one of the most interesting.

ML is used by voice technologies to translate the spoken word into text and then to translate text into meaning. Roku is my first hardware company – there’s tons of new experiences for me here, so I can be the teacher in one area, and the student in another.

ALUMNUS SPOTLIGHT

How did your study at the University of Oxford influence your career path?

an interest in digital survey and mapping, and the emerging technologies of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Computer Assisted Design (CAD), and taught myself to program.

I developed a practical skill set that got me invited to excavations

What do you see as the future of your industry?

Tyler Bell ’89

Product lead: voice services Roku Inc. Tyler Bell ’89 is product lead for voice services at Roku Inc. and has been involved in several Silicon Valley startups. He earned a B.A. in English from Carleton College and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Oxford.

At Haverford, he was a founding member of the Notables, wrestled, and played soccer and lacrosse.

I expect social networks in their current form will atrophy, and the most exciting advances in consumer tech will bridge the real and virtual worlds. Devices will continue to become easier to use, and voice will augment, rather than replace, visual interfaces. Graphics processing units (GPUs) will supplant central processing units (CPUs) as the emergent hardware frontier, and the Class of ’89 will use autonomous cars almost exclusively in our retirement communities. Along the way we’ll be reminded, at times painfully, that technology is itself neither good nor evil, but simply an accelerant poured on the human condition.

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Athletic Hall of Fame 2018 The Haverford School Alumni Association, along with approximately 200 classmates, family members, and friends, honored the 1956-57 basketball team, the 1964 football team, Bob Crozer ’65 (awarded posthumously), the 1971 soccer team, Russ Ball ’84, Gene Glavin ’88, Steve Gaffney ’91, Brady Kramer ’91, Jerry White ’00, and Coach Kevin Seits during induction ceremonies at the 14th Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 24 in the School’s Field House. Watch a video of the evening’s highlights at haverford.org/ halloffame.

Honorees 1956-57 Basketball Team The 1956-57 basketball team finished the season with an overall record of 17-5 (9-1, Inter-Ac). This marked the School’s 10th Inter-Ac basketball title since the league’s inception in 1924. Led by Coach Bill Prizer, Captain Ted Rauch, and Inter-Ac League MVP Don Shaffer, the Fords were able to win 14 consecutive games. Key wins came against Malvern Prep, Hill School, and Downingtown in the Wayne Rotary Tournament Championship.

The 1956-57 basketball team includes (from left) Chris Harvey ’59, Bill Ertel ’58, Dave Fletcher ’59, Ted Rauch ’57 (captain), Olin West ’57, Jerry Aldrich ’58, and Tom Chase ’57 (manager).

1964 Football Team The 1964 football team finished the season with an overall record of 7-1 (5-0, Inter-Ac).

This marked the School’s 15th Inter-Ac Championship in football. Led by Coach Ed Baker and Captain Bob Crozer, the Fords were able to outscore opponents 159-55. Ten players were selected to All-Inter-Ac teams (Crozer, Stringer, MacBean, Potts, Wilkins, Chance, Boyer, Pierce, Baldwin, Reardon). Key wins came against Olney, Lincoln, Penn Charter, and Malvern Prep.

The 1964 football team includes (seated, from left) Craig Pierce ’65, Scott Wilkes ’65, Jim Chance ’65, Dick Butcher ’65, and Don Wilkins ’65; (standing) Jack Linvill ’65, Rick Greenwood ’65, Thos Leonards ’65, Craig Cunningham ’65, David Thompson ’66, Hank Stringer ’66, and Scott MacBean ’66.

1971 Soccer Team The 1971 soccer team finished the season with an overall record of 12-1-3 (8-0-2, Inter-Ac), winning the first Inter-Ac title since 1966 and the 14th in Haverford School history. Led by Coach Harry Smith and Captain Jock Coffin, the Fords outscored their opponents 50-11. Key wins came against Harriton, Chestnut Hill, and Penn Charter.

The 1971 soccer team includes (seated, from left) Rick Troncelliti ’72, Mark Gordon ’72, Hobie Porter ’72, Jock Coffin ’72 (captain), Scott LaForce ’72, Scott Addis ’74, and John Rose ’72; (standing) John Marshall ’72, Bob Scott ’73, Keith Forster ’74, Bob Burch ’72, Kip Meyer ’72, Nils-Eric Tedgard ’72, Tom Christie ’73, and Arlin Green ’73.

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and Inter-Ac MVP in ’90; Philadelphia Suburban Player of the Year in ’90; and an All-Main Line selection in ’88, ’89, ’90. Gaffney was captain of the lacrosse team in ’91, earning All-American. He was selected All-Inter-Ac and All-Main Line in ’89, ’90, and ’91. At Harvard, Gaffney played soccer and lacrosse. He received the Most Improved Player Award for soccer in ’94; and the team won the Ivy League Championship. He was lacrosse captain in ’95 and played in the North-South All-Star Game. Gaffney was team MVP in ’94 and selected to the All-Ivy League in ’93, ’94, and ’95. He represented Team Ireland in the 2006 World Lacrosse Games.

Braden C. T. Kramer, Class of 1991

Individuals inducted into The Haverford School Athletic Hall of Fame included (from left) Jerry White ’00, Steve Gaffney ’91, Brady Kramer ’91, Gene Glavin ’88, Russ Ball ’84, and Coach Kevin Seits.

Robert P. Crozer, Class of 1965 (awarded posthumously) Crozer earned nine letters in football, wrestling, and baseball.

He was captain of the ’64 Inter-Ac Champion football team and was selected All-Inter-Ac and All-Main Line in ’63 and ’64; AllScholastic Philadelphia ’64; All-Delaware Valley ’64; and received the Maxwell Club of Philadelphia Award ’64. He was part of the wrestling team that won Inter-Ac Championships in ’62, ’63, and ’64; and he was an EIWT finalist in ’63, ’64, and ’65. Crozer pitched and played shortstop for the Fords, hitting over .400 in ’65.

Kramer earned 10 letters in soccer, ice hockey, and tennis. He was All-Inter-Ac in ’90 for soccer. For ice hockey he was EHSHL MVP; EHSHL All-League in ’89, ’90, and ’91 (captain); receiving the Rick MacLeish Award – leading scorer in EHSHL – in ’90 and ’91. Kramer was captain of the tennis team in ’91; an All-Inter-Ac selection in ’90 and ’91; undefeated in singles ’89 and ’90, and undefeated in doubles in ’88. He played ice hockey for four years at Providence College, scoring 139 total points (60 goals, 79 assists).

The team was Hockey East Finalists in ’95; Gaffney was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was a member of the USA World Junior Ice Hockey Team, ’93 World Championships. Kramer was drafted by the NHL Montreal Canadiens in ’91.

Jeremiah J. White III, Class of 2000

Ball earned 11 letters in squash and tennis and played for the squash team that won Inter-Ac Championships in ’79, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83, and ’84. Ball was undefeated in dual matches at Haverford, served as captain in ’84, and was selected to the All-Inter-Ac team in ’81, ’82, ’83, and ’84. Fords tennis won the Inter-Ac Championship in ’83; Ball was captain in ’84. He played squash for Harvard, which earned National Championships in ’85, ’86, ’87, and ’88 (captain).

He played in the No. 1 spot in ’87 and ’88, and was selected to the All-Ivy League in ’85, ’86, ’87, and ’88. Ball was ranked No. 1 squash player in the country (U-13 through U-19) and was the U-17 U.S. National Champion and the U-17 Canadian National Champion in 1982. In ’88, he was ranked No. 2 U.S. men’s amateur squash player.

White earned four letters in soccer. He was captain in ’99 and an All-American. The team won Inter-Ac Championships in ’96 and ’97. White’s honors include: All-State ’97, ’98, and ’99; All-Inter-Ac ’97, ’98, and ’99; All-Main Line ’99; Philadelphia Inquirer Player of the Year ’99; Inter-Ac Player of the Year ’99; Main Line Player of the Year ’99; and Delco Player of the Year ’99. He was a member of FC Delco, which was U-17 National Champions in ’98; U-16 National semifinalists in ’97; and State Champions in ’97, ’98, and ’99. White played soccer four years at Wake Forest, where he was ACC Player of the Year in ’03; an All-American in ’01 and ’03; First Team All-ACC in ’01, ’02, and ’03; and the Herman Trophy Finalist (top NCAA player in the country) in ’03. He was drafted by New England Revolution in ’04 and played overseas for teams from Serbia, Greece, France, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, and Poland. White was a member of the ’08 U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team.

Eugene M. Glavin, Class of 1988

Coach Kevin Seits

Glavin earned 10 letters in football, wrestling, and lacrosse. In ’87, he was captain of the football team and selected to the All-Inter-Ac, All-Main Line, and All-Suburban teams. On the mat, Glavin was part of the wrestling team that won Inter-Ac Championships in ’86 and ’88 (captain). In ’88, he was named to the All-Inter-Ac, All-Main Line, and All-Suburban teams. He was captain of the lacrosse team in ’88; the Fords won Inter-Ac Championships in ’86 and ’88. An All-American, Glavin was also selected to the All-State, All-Inter-Ac, All-Main Line, and All-Suburban teams. He played lacrosse at Duke for four years.

Seits has filled many roles at The Haverford School, including teacher, adviser, Director of Enrollment, and coach. He was head soccer coach from 1993-99, leading the team to a 125-22-16 overall record and three Inter-Ac Championships: ’95, ’96 (undefeated), and ’97. He was named Southeastern PA Coaches Association Coach of the Year in ’95, Main Line Life Coach of the Year in ’96, and Philadelphia Inquirer Coach of the Year in ’97. He also coached for F.C. Delco and the Olympic Development Program. He was the School’s head golf coach from 1999-2005, during which the Fords won five Inter-Ac Championships. Seits coached three athletic seasons for 17 years in soccer, golf, and sub-varsity in basketball and track.

Russell C. Ball III, Class of 1984

Stephen J. Gaffney, Class of 1991 Gaffney earned nine letters in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse. He was soccer captain in ’89 and ’90; All-Inter-Ac in ’88, ’89, and ’90,

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Alumni Regional Receptions Los Angeles

Los Angeles area alumni gathered at the Los Angeles Country Club on March 13, hosted by Jeff Warren ’82.

Los Angeles area alumni gathered for a networking happy hour on March 13 at BRĂœ HAUS.

San Francisco

San Francisco area alumni gathered at The University Club on March 14.

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Philadelphia

Philadelphia area alumni gathered downtown for a reception hosted by Lathrop Nelson ’93 on April 5.

Boston

Boston area alumni gathered at Grill 23 & Bar on April 12.

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REFLECTIONS

The secret code

By Deb Gavin, third-grade teacher

When second-grade boys visit the third-grade teachers on move-up day, I pose this question, “Do you want to know the secret to doing well in third grade?” The room goes quiet. I scan the pod, pausing momentarily to make eye contact with each and every boy. “Lean in and I will tell you the secret code,” I say. Fifty-some little boys lean forward waiting for the magical secret to success. “Read!” I announce with a flourish. “Read comic books, graphic novels, your favorite series, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. If you read every day, all summer long, you will be prepared for life in third grade.”

Students entering third grade are at a pivotal junction in their academic life. They transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” – a make-or-break period for scholarly success in which national trends show that boys fare far worse than their female counterparts. While boys have been historically categorized as nonreaders, Haverford’s curriculum fosters strong and curious readers and writers who perform well above grade level as they progress through their education.

“Reading is a multifaceted skill, gradually acquired over years of instruction and practice.” (Scarborough’s Reading Rope, 2001).

Haverford’s teachers continually evaluate student progress and provide directed instruction in the components of word recognition: phonological awareness (hearing sounds), decoding (the alphabetic principle), and spelling-sound correspondence, intertwined with essential elements of language comprehension: background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy knowledge. How do you entice a boy to read and to deliberately practice? The secret code: make it challenging enough to learn and enjoyable enough to engage in.

It’s critical for boys to know that reading is not a natural process

and that they will get better with guidance and practice. I tell them, “If you are not struggling, your brain is not learning!” Once I level the playing field and highlight the value of authentic reading, boys will take a risk. By role modeling, connecting stories to the real world, leveraging boys’ natural interests, and making books available in various formats and settings, we can change the trajectories of boys’ learning.

It is not uncommon to see my students sprawled across the floor working in cooperative groupings practicing authentic reading. In addition to teacher read-alouds and reciprocal reading, one of my students’ favorite activities is performing in our weekly readers’ theater productions. We use scripts that align with our curriculum as purposeful reading assignments. The boys practice together and give each other tips on how to read prosaically. I encourage them to take the scripts home and invite their families to read along with them.

Then on Readers’ Theater Thursday, as we call it, we perform our readings for an audience.

Reading and writing are reciprocal, so children who read extensively also become better writers. Wide reading provides students with exposure to text structures, language, and contextual knowledge that they can use in their writing.

In one of their last projects of the year, as my students prepared for the annual famous men presentation, I was pleased to see them incorporating ideas from mentor texts and using high level vocabulary and strong leads to “hook” the audience. Some incorporated a famous quote, one used onomatopoeia to mimic the sounds of war, and another sang his opening line. Thinking back to their first visit to third grade, I reflected on how far they have come as readers and as writers. The secret code works.

Want to hear more from our extraordinary educators?

The Big Room Blog haverford.org/blog

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Join the club.

About to write your first will or update a previous one? We cordially invite you to join Haverford’s 5% Club by including a charitable bequest of 5% of your estate to Haverford in your will or trust. Why 5%?

Here’s what Hans Davies ’95, founding member of The 5% Club, says: “Because it’s big enough to acknowledge Haverford’s major impact on your life, but small enough to allow you to honor your family and other obligations, too. And, whether your estate grows or shrinks, your gift to Haverford will always be proportional. You’ll never need to change it.”

For more information about joining The 5% Club and Haverford’s Heritage Society, contact: Jeff Day, Director of Development, at 484-571-7052 or jday@haverford.org.