From the Head of School

Greetings from the Hilltop

This issue of PALLIUM arrives as our students, faculty, and staff begin a new academic year, coming together as a full community to this gorgeous, joyful hilltop. Even as we turn the page to this school year, we carry forward the accomplishments of the Class of 2022 celebrated during Canterbury’s 105th Commencement exercises last May (page 24); I have the utmost confidence that these young people will accomplish extraordinary things not only in their collegiate and professional careers but for the greater good of our world. Canterbury’s mission has always been to provide students with a broad and rigorous college preparatory program, firmly rooted in a system of values and a deep understanding of the role they play in the lives of others. To be sure, this mission has, in recent years, become more relevant and resonant than ever. Today, our society—our world—explicitly needs good citizens to take action and have the moral courage and fortitude to make a real difference. Leafing through this PALLIUM will affirm how our students, faculty, and alumni are answering the call. Just look at the accomplishments of this year’s graduating class, the impressive list of colleges and universities where they have matriculated this fall (page 31), and, notably, the initiative and purpose they are bringing to the next leg of their journeys. Stephen Kershaw leading his Soles 4 Souls shoe drive (page 42); Sebastian Voskericyan organizing an Earth Day t-shirt fundraiser with the Sustainability Club and Canterbury Business Association (page 42); and Gigi Esposito and Kaly Naughton teaming up with Women of Canterbury on National Denim Day in support of sexual assault awareness and prevention (page 44). Indeed, these and many other members of the Class of 2022 are poised and prepared to lead impactful lives. And as these newest alumni move on, our current students stand ready to fill their shoes as leaders and role models—on the Sixth Form Council (page 50), as Sacristans and Interfaith Council members (page 43), through community service, or by contributing to and encouraging a positive campus culture. This winter and spring, that culture was greatly enhanced by our Social Justice Series (page 36). It was truly remarkable to watch our students, faculty, alumni, Trustees, and visiting speakers rally around issues critical to building a more ethical and service-minded world. The conversations were sometimes difficult but always thought-provoking, and our community invariably came away from these sessions enlightened and introspective. What a pleasure it was to welcome Dr. Miriam “Duchess” Harris ’87, P ’25 back to campus this past spring as we continued celebrating 50 Years of Coeducation! As part of our Women’s Leadership Speaker Series (page 12), she addressed students during School Meeting and spent an afternoon meeting with faculty, staff, and Trustees. Sharing experiences from her time on the hilltop and as an educator and as an advocate for social justice and equity, Duchess invited and engaged in questions focused on how this generation of young adults can best navigate our complex world. I am also proud of the inroads the Canterbury community has been making as good citizens of our planet, some of which are highlighted in this issue. You will read about our impressive new solar array on campus and other initiatives to lower the School’s carbon footprint and set a responsible example for our students (page 6). You will discover how Director of Sustainability and Science Department Chair Cammy RoffeP’12,’15 has played such a vital role in many of these initiatives (page 34). Cammy’s passion for the environment is contagious, and she has done an exceptional job making our students aware of, and equally passionate about, the world around us. This issue shines a spotlight as well on the essential work so many of our alumni are doing in the environmental sector. Karl Bourdeau’71, Thomas Esposito’80, Joseph Novella’81, Asa McKee’01, Joanna Wozniak-Brown’02, Kasey Cantwell’06, and Chris Aldrich’07 all have compelling stories to tell (page 13). And Thomas O’Connor, Jr. ’74 hosted our students for an illuminating visit to his state-of-the-art manufacturing company, Mohawk Paper, which has made sustainability an integral part of its production process (page 10). My hope is that when you have completed your trip through these pages, you, too, will find pride and inspiration in the deeds and accomplishments of the Canterbury community. And that you will pay it forward in all the ways that we model for our students—through responsible action, compassionate service, and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of shared purpose we carry as members of the Saints family.

Rachel Stone P ’23, ’24 Head of School

An “Array” of Sustainable Initiatives on the Hilltop

It is not immediately noticeable when you first drive on campus, but take a quick detour down Elkington Farm Road and you will see it—an impressive new solar array with 2,158 panels producing 1.0 megawatt of power on nearly five acres of land, standing ready to have a huge impact on our hilltop.

According to Business Manager Steve CarletonP ’16, ’20, the project serves the Canterbury community in a number of positive ways. “It is nice to have this green energy up on the hill, and it is saving us a significant amount of money each year,” he said. “It is good for Canterbury, and it leads by example.”

That last part is music to the ears of Cammy Roffe P ’12, ’15, Director of Sustainability and Science Department Chair, who is continually stressing the importance of environmental issues to her students. “I am truly excited about it,” she shared. “The first year I taught my Climate, Energy, and Water class, I had the students divide into teams—Team Solar, Team Geothermal, Team Wind—and they had to come up with a proposal for the campus and present it. It is great to see it happening now!”

THE SEEDS OF A PLAN

According to Steve, the process for adding solar to the campus started taking shape in May of 2019 as the most recent Campus Master Plan was drawn up and the Steers Center was taking shape. The idea got some legs and had the support of the Board of Trustees, so he was sent to investigate.

That investigation lasted through that summer as the School pared down bids and presentations from six companies to one— Enel X North America, a large, reputable, international company. At the Board meeting in the fall, the decision was made to go forward with them. Included in the Enel deal was the installation of electric vehicle chargers at two locations on campus.

While there were some challenges along the way—as often happens with a project this size—the School persevered with help from its New Milford neighbors. “The town has been a good partner and very supportive of this process,” Steve shared.

THE BENEFITS ARE MANY

Whatever issues arose were well worth the time and effort in getting the solar array ready to go, said Steve, who anticipates smooth sailing now that the installation is complete. “It will be providing 40 percent of our power, give or take, but there is nothing different to us otherwise. We are still grid-connected, and everything will work seamlessly on the operation side of things.”

And, of course, there are plenty of benefits on the education side as well. “Cammy is very excited about integrating this, and I am sure she will take the ball and run with it,” Steve said. “This project is showing our students— the future leaders of this world—that we continue to be environmentally friendly, which dovetails nicely with Cammy’s efforts.”

Those efforts keep the concepts of environmentalism and sustainability front and center in students’ minds. In addition to leading the Sustainability Club, Cammy has found myriad ways to directly involve them in hands-on projects and learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

The School urged her to develop more science electives, and Cammy was happy to oblige. “I would say, ‘All right, let’s do a biome ecology class. What is a rainforest? Why is it a rainforest? Understanding how it all works

together—what is the human impact?’ I have done a climate, energy, and water class; a science of West Africa class; a marine science class; all of them with an environmental bent.”

She is also delighted to be involved in Canterbury’s Syracuse University Project Advance (SUPA) initiative, which gives students the opportunity to earn college credits, experience the rigor of a college-level course, and prepare for the expectations and challenges of college academics while still in high school. “I am teaching the Earth Systems Science SUPA class this year, which is exciting,” said Cammy, who was trained as an adjunct Syracuse instructor for the role.

GETTING HANDS-ON

There are many other interactive ways students become immersed in all manner of sustainability projects on the hilltop and beyond:

Tree Planting

A Sixth Form orchard was started on campus; every year, seniors plant six fruit trees. Last year, they helped to plant six apple trees; this year, it was six peach trees; and next year, they will plant something different.

Water Testing

The Department of Environmental Protection in Connecticut has a program called Project Search where they train teachers and send students out to local rivers for water quality testing and then compile all that data. Students have been going to the East Aspetuck River for 20 years as part of a class. They get right in the water and investigate the chemistry. They also put on hip waders and explored artificial wetlands around campus.

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Marine Science

During field trips to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, students observe all the different organisms, watch a documentary in the IMAX theater, and go out on a research vessel for two-plus hours. They see so many of the things they talk and learn about all year.

Recycling

Students have been beating the bushes about recycling, selling reusable water bottles, and helping to get all the water bottle fillers on campus.

Sustainability Club

Club members have been involved with presenting a Social Justice Series event each year, including Food Justice and Sustainability this spring. The club’s efforts to increase awareness of sustainability issues include presentations and videos at night; a favorite is The Biggest Little Farm, which talks about creating a biodiverse farm and many different fruit trees.

These activities leave quite an impression on current Saints who are highly passionate about sustainability issues and eager to share that passion with their peers. “As a leader in the Sustainability Club, I serve as a mentor for the younger students,” said Sebastian Voskericyan’22, who organized an Earth Day fundraiser on campus around sustainable t-shirt sales (see page 42). “Hopefully, I have given them inspiration for future events and how to incorporate their own ideas for the school as they become juniors and seniors.”

COUNTING THEIR CHICKENS

Five years ago, Canterbury hatched another plan to promote sustainability and give students experience in running a self-sustaining project— a chicken coop on the north end of campus. Conceived by Mathematics Department Chair Chris RobertsP’24 and and former Dean of Faculty Wright Danenbarger, the coop was designed to be easily maintained, with a fold-up roost and easy-to-clean nesting boxes. It also sports solar panels to provide light and enough heat to keep the water from freezing.

The initial building of the coop coincided with the creation of the Chicken Keepers Club, which meets regularly to go over its day-to-day operations— cleaning the coop, feeding and watering the chickens, and collecting the eggs for sale through social media,

Canterbury Welcomes New Trustee

We are delighted to welcome a proud parent of two Canterbury alumni to our Board of Trustees. Jeremiah E. Keefe P ’21, ’22 has been named to the Board and will attend his first meeting this October.

Jerry comes to the hilltop as a Principal for AB CarVal, a global alternative investment management company in New York City, where he is responsible for leading clean energy investments in North America. Prior to joining AB CarVal in 2015, he was a Co-Head of the High Yield and Distressed Investing Group at Goldman Sachs. Earlier in his career, Jerry was Managing Director and Head of Distressed Debt at Wachovia Securities and served as Director of Distressed Research in Deutsche Bank’s Global Distressed Products Group. He earned a B.A. from Manhattanville College.

He and his wife Sally live in New Canaan, Connecticut, and have two children who are graduates of Canterbury, Kayleigh Keefe ’21 and Jeremiah Keefe ’22. They are key reasons why Jerry is especially excited about joining the Board.

“As a parent of two recently graduated Saints, I am thrilled to continue our family ties to Canterbury School as a member of the Board of Trustees,” he said. “My wife and I have witnessed first-hand the outstanding benefits of a Canterbury education. We share in Canterbury’s Five Values—Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Spirituality, and Self-reliance. Being part of the Board of Trustees is one of the best ways to ensure Canterbury can continue to provide a rich learning environment for students of future generations.” “My wife and I have witnessed first-hand the outstanding benefits of a Canterbury education. We share in Canterbury’s Five Values—Honesty, Respect, Compassion, Spirituality, and Self-reliance.”

JEREMIAH E. KEEFE P ’21, ’22

public relations efforts, and targeted messaging. “We want students to not only learn about the responsibility of caring for the chickens, but also the planning and marketing aspects of operating a small business,” Chris said.

BRINGING POSITIVE ENERGY

Beyond these education-related initiatives, the School has also worked with the local gas and electric company, Eversource, to find ways to save energy and further minimize its everyday carbon footprint.

“We explored and took advantage of Eversource incentives for energy-efficient lighting and energy-efficient motors in our buildings, starting in 2013,” said Steve. “We were able to significantly lower our energy usage with things like switching from incandescent lighting to LEDs and upgrading to motors that use far less energy.” These efforts have continued in earnest, per Steve. “The way Connecticut incentive programs were set up, they looked for things called multiple measures—so if you could combine lighting with something a little more advanced like circulating motors or some of the heating systems, they would give you a better incentive,” he explained. “At the time, we included all our compressor equipment for the hockey rink as well. That was a big piece because that compressor was quite ancient, so we were able to upgrade it. We have been doing some terrific things to reduce energy along the way.”

While the solar array is the newest—and most visible—evidence of these efforts, there are plenty more compelling projects and initiatives to come as Canterbury continues to heighten student awareness of these vital issues and to foster a sustainable, healthy environment for future generations.

T-shirt design for Earth Day fundraiser on campus.