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The Rectory News THE MAGAZINE OF RECTORY SCHOOL, POMFRET, CONNECTICUT | WINTER 2018

At Rectory, It’s Personal Celebrating The Tang Challenge Howling About the Wolf Den

2017–2018 Board of Trustees Blair F. Bigelow ’52 Lisa T. Canter, MD P’19 Daniel J. De Nuccio P’07, P’08, P’10 Nathan Follansbee George D. Groom P’78 Laurence N. Hale II P’16, P’19, P’21 Nathaniel P. Hamilton, Jr. ’98 William P. Loftus III P’13 William T. Loos ’78, P’09, P’23, P’24 Jeffrey W. Lupient ’94 John F. Maybank, Jr. ’94 Jo Ann Morelli Suriano P’14, P’15, P’17 Patricia Mulcahy P’14 Kathleen R. Naumann P’11 Kate R. Salop P’18, P’22 Natasha Harvey Swann ’84 Kevin M. Tubridy ’60 Michael Wang P’20, P’20 Johnny L. L. Wells ’03 Van H. Wilshire ’86 Elizabeth H. Zimmermann ’84 Frederick W. Williams, Ex Officio 2017–2018 Board of visitors Denise Archambault Anthony Bannister P’25 Paula and James Carafotes P’10, P’12, P’17 Bintou and Allen Chatterton ‘75 Sylvia and Garfield Danenhower P’90 Henry Eaton ’66 John Evans P’16 LaRita and Edwin Gordon P’13 Wendy and Earl Gurevitch P’18 Michael Harpe P’18 Ethan Jamron ’95 James Leach ’76 Kevin Lewis P’22 Victoria Martin Judith Mitchell P’08 Helenka and Robert Nolan P’19 Lindsay Paul P’17 Robert Perkin ’62 Louise Witherite and S. Dunham Rowley ’60 Andronica Stanley-Wheelock P’15 Charles Tannenbaum ’98 RJ Tolson ’08 E. John White GP’18, GP’22 John H. White ’73 Benjamin Williams Henry Woodbridge GP’05 RECTORY SCHOOL’S MISSION is to provide students, from early childhood through middle school, with an enriched and supportive academic, social, and ethical community that addresses individual learning styles, aptitudes, and needs while promoting personal self-worth and accountability. The school community lives the Rectory School Creed: Responsibility, Respect, Honesty, and Compassion.

The 16th annual fall family weekend prism concert showcased selections celebrating friendship and featured 115 elementary and middle school students who participated in five instrumental and three choral groups. As light bounces through a prism, this unique program features musicians and singers staged in different areas throughout the Tang Center, with their continuous performances bouncing sound from one group to another.

ABOVE: Harrison F. ‘19 plays the bass guitar with the jazz band. .BELOW: Alyssa L., Angelina Q., and Jasmine C. play acoustic guitars with the ninth-grade guitar class.

The Rectory News THE MAGAZINE OF RECTORY SCHOOL, POMFRET, CONNECTICUT | WINTER 2017

ON THE COVER: Art teacher and dorm parent, Judy Blakelock and fourth grader Isabel at work in the Collins Art Barn on an Elementary School project, painting rocks for the entryway to John and Millie Green Hall.

Published for the students, alumni, family, and friends of Rectory School, Pomfret, Connecticut.

LAYOUT/DESIGN: Bottlerocket Design Group

www.bottlerocketdesign.com PRINTING: 101 Business Solutions

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At REctory, it’s personal 06 CONNECTIONS IN THE CARE PROGRAM 08 EMPOWERING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS 10 BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL 13 PROMOTING A RELATIONSHIP WITH FITNESS 14 FOSTERING CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

EDITOR: Dawn Chmura PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Lisa Walsh ’84 PROOFREADER: Margery Mosher PHOTOGRAPHY: Donna Bessette, Maria Carpenter,

18 we did it!

Dawn Chmura, Erin Hayden, Jimmy Kellaway, Mary Lou Seaward, Hannah Stewart ‘08, and Lisa Walsh ‘84.

FRONT & BACK COVER: Lisa Walsh ’84

Rectory has reached its goal of raising $2.5 million and will now receive the largest matching donation in the School’s 98-year history!

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY: It is the policy of Rectory School, Incorporated, to admit students regardless of race, sex, color, or religion to the programs, activities, benefits, and privileges that it makes available to its students generally, provided that they meet the standards for admission.

22 howling about the new wolf den From ping pong to just hanging out with friends, the Wolf Den is the newest spot to be on campus.

RECTORY SOCIAL FEED: www.rectoryschool.org/social

linkedin.com/company/ the-rectory-school

facebook.com/RectorySchool facebook.com/RectoryAlumniPage

instagram.com/rectory_school_ct

@RectorySchoolCT

Departments 02 From the Headmaster

28 Alumni events

20 around Campus

30 Alumni Notes

24 Athletics

40 then & now

FROM THE HEADMASTER

The progress our students make is dramatic and profound, and the impact of the Rectory experience lifelong as our graduates excel in their lives beyond our campus. Rectory’s personalized approach, highlighted in detail in the ensuing pages, is the vehicle for this development, but any school program, be it academic, athletic, artistic, or other, is only as effective as the adult leading it.

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FROM THE HEADMASTER

THE WHOLE CHILD AND RECTORY’S PERSONALIZED APPROACH

By Frederick W. Williams, Headmaster

The world of education is ripe with jargon reflecting the newest thinking and hottest trends. While embracing the ideologies behind many of these words and phrases, I often avoid using this language in print and presentation because the familiarity of the phrase can misconstrue any one school’s interpretation and execution. I deviate from that approach now as I wholly and enthusiastically state that Rectory School educates the “whole child,” a position thoroughly supported by the contents of this edition of The Rectory News. But Rectory takes this notion that much further by overlaying an individualized approach to this whole child focus.

The tenets of the whole child focus, which first gained attention over a decade ago, hold that children must be healthy, safe, supported, engaged, and challenged. Yet while there is commonality in the tenets, each child at Rectory is unique, with varied interests, abilities, and goals. Thus each child’s “program” is personalized across the range of tenets to assure our graduates are best prepared to succeed in school and in life as they move on from Rectory. This is reflected in the sports offerings a child chooses and the courses a student is enrolled in, and it is also reflected in the invaluable connections created through the many relationships a child forms at school.

Every September, I begin the year asking the students at our first assembly what they believe my most important job is at Rectory.

By now, veterans among the group know the answer: to assure each student’s safety on campus. That safety, which is supported most vigorously by a caring, observant faculty, is aided by programmatic components that praise acts of moral character, instruct students on the tenets of the Rectory Creed, and promote dialogue when moments of transgression occur. The results of these efforts were made clear when a new student shared with me earlier this fall, “Mr. Williams, this is the first time I feel comfortable within my peer group.” As a result, his progress has been rapid, but also widespread as his confidence in the classroom has inspired progress across all aspects of school life.

The preadolescent and adolescent years are often marked by a desire to do anything but stand out. Don’t answer a question in class because you might be wrong. Don’t try out for a new sport because you might not be good enough. Don’t run for student council because you might suffer defeat. Don’t step in and help a peer in need because it might not be the cool thing to do…At Rectory, by recognizing students as individuals, and by supporting their unique emotional, intellectual, and physical development and needs, students DO all of these things, and they do them well.

Reflecting on her decision to enroll her child at Rectory, the parent of a recent graduate shared: I knew when [my daughter] made the honor roll her first time. I knew when she was elected captain of her basketball team as an 8th grader. I knew when she was voted by her teachers to proctor a girls’ dorm this year. I knew when she decided to learn to play the guitar, and I knew when she was excited to write her reflection paper for her final exam in literature class. When my child, who had been afraid to be called on by her teachers, or asked to read and never wanted to have anything to do with the written word, called to tell me she had auditioned to be the narrator and a part of the chorus in the spring musical and then took the stage with such poise and confidence, I knew I had made the right decision.

This parent’s reaction is echoed by so many who watch their children grow into such impressive young men and women during their Rectory years. The progress our students make is dramatic and profound, and the impact of the Rectory experience lifelong as our graduates excel in their lives beyond our campus. Rectory’s personalized approach, highlighted in detail in the ensuing pages, is the vehicle for this development, but any school program, be it academic, athletic, artistic, or other, is only as effective as the adult leading it.

To that point, each year I receive a number of emails from appreciative parents who, after the milestone of graduation, look back on their child’s experience at Rectory. A recent such email began, “As a parent, I am still trying to figure out how Rectory, and you, manage to hire and hold on to the most wonderful group of people, who know all the right things to say and how to handle specific situations with an end result of the students leaving with a love and respect for each other and the school.” These same students also leave with new interests, improved skills, a heightened sense of inquiry, and the self-awareness and confidence to make an impact. All of this is the result of Rectory’s personalized approach to education.

Our faculty understand that in the classroom, levels of support and challenge vary depending on a child’s readiness, and assignments differ based on a student’s ability; on the field, drills and strategy are adjusted to fit the skill level and competitiveness of the athlete; and in advisor period, discussions are structured so as to be in line with the developmental needs of the child. It is this differentiation and individualization that ultimately unites our graduates, who collectively leave campus honoring former headmaster John Bigelow’s charge: “To work well, to play well, to think clearly, to speak truth; to win without pride, to lose with rancor; to have courage, and to be kind.” What an impactful and invaluable end result!

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At Rectory, we emphasize the personalized approach, where we measure success by the improvement realized by each individual student. Additionally, the interests and learning habits students develop at Rectory will play essential roles as our graduates complete their schooling and become tomorrow’s leaders.

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

At rectory, it’s personal From the roots of Rectory’s founding, addressing students’ individual learning styles, aptitudes, and needs has been paramount to the mission of the School. Throughout the years, Rectory’s administrators have worked hard to create an intentional, comprehensive program that seeks to understand each student as an individual, resulting in a personal journey that leads to happiness and success while promoting self-worth and accountability. Every aspect of Rectory’s program draws from students’ areas of comfort and builds greater self-awareness as well as a true enjoyment of learning as they become an integral part of the School community. Along the way, students become stronger in all aspects of their lives—mind, body, and soul.

Whether it’s guiding the infants in our Children At Rectory (CARe) program with their first steps or helping prepare ninth graders to take their next steps towards graduation and life beyond middle school, Rectory students are surrounded by people who care about them and want them to succeed. In the subsequent pages, you’ll read about some of the ways Rectory embraces the whole child approach. At Rectory, it’s not just academic—it’s personal.

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

connections in the care program

By Erin Hayden, Director of CARe When teaching young children, it is hard to distinguish where developing mind, body, and soul divide. Children from infancy through the preschool years learn through movement, through hands-on experiential learning, through doing.

In this way, the only way for a child to learn is holistically, mind, body, and soul. The CARe teachers understand child development and teach to the whole child, each child individually, every day. Here are just a few ways this happens on a daily basis.

Curriculum

Children At Rectory (CARe) is a State of Connecticut licensed and

While this seems like a very big task, when broken down into smaller

NAEYC accredited early childhood educational program. CARe utilizes

parts, teachers create experiences throughout a child’s day that gives

the Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS)

him/her opportunities to express his/her emotions, to label feelings,

for curricular development. The ELDS is a document of learning

to help others and show kindness. When this happens daily, weekly,

progressions from infancy to kindergarten. Containing eight standards:

monthly and so on, children make progress in each standard and in

Cognition, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development

overall development. Daily curricular goals at CARe are supplemented

and Health, Language and Literacy, Creative Arts, Mathematics,

by field trips, volunteers, student teachers, local community events, and

Science and Social Studies, along with progressions for dual language

community members joining the classroom. Yet all of these planned

learners, the ELDS provides teachers a broad yet clear understanding

curricular experiences are just a piece of the puzzle.

of expectations for learning progress over these early years. These Learning and Development Standards are then carried out through developmentally appropriate yet challenging curriculum created by the CARe teachers.

Routines

The CARe classroom is specifically designed to allow children to make decisions on their own and to feel confident about their successes as well as failures. Each classroom is designed to have the environment be the “third teacher.” The environment, or “third teacher,” has been

“These are formative years and having solid, trusted, and loving role models in children’s lives

constructed to foster relationships among children and teachers, to delight the senses by promoting wonder and curiosity, and to provide ample materials for exploration. Routines and schedules have also been established that provide children the opportunity to dive deep into

is every bit as important as the

learning, with uninterrupted time for them to explore. CARe’s daily

curriculum those trusted role

routine allows children extensive learning time through play, hours of

models are providing.”

outdoor play time for exploration, physical exercise and development, and quiet periods to allow the mind to slow, rest, and store information.

And yet, all the curriculum and routines that are created can never

In the infant/toddler classroom, the two teachers plan specifically for their primary children, tailoring lessons and activities to each individual child. While activities in this classroom are planned for the whole group, the intended lesson is constructed to challenge each child at his/her own level. In the preschool classroom, the three teachers break up the curriculum into four categories. One teacher specifically plans experiences on language, literacy, and creative arts; another teacher plans for science and sensory; the last teacher plans for mathematics.

All three teachers provide curricular opportunities for physical, health, social studies, and social-emotional development. For example, in the learning progression Social and Emotional Development, teachers are expected to create experiences that “support children to develop, express, recognize, and respond to emotions as well as develop selfawareness, self-concept, and competence.”

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measure up to the importance of quality teachers and family connections.

PERSONALIZED APPROACH

Role Models

Family Connections

All of the CARe teachers have been specifically trained in early

Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher! No one on earth

childhood education and child development. Having a team of teachers

will ever know a young child the way his or her parents do. Having

who are experts in their field allows for a collaboration between

strong family connections is the only way to support a child holistically.

colleagues and a constant flow of ideas about how to improve practice.

At CARe, the parents are teachers too. Parents are welcome into the

This team of teachers are also positive role models that show children

classroom anytime, both as observers and as volunteers. CARe provides

every day the importance of education, happiness, and living a great

many ways for parents to be involved in their child’s education. CARe

life. Teachers role model everything, literally everything, as anyone who

has family gatherings and events, a Parent Committee to help guide,

works with or has young children knows firsthand! Everything you

plan for improvement, and support the program, and parent volunteers.

do all day long is a teachable moment, from prosocial behavior, good

Parents are also the first source of valuable information about a child’s

hygiene, proper conversation style with expanded vocabulary, using

interests, personality and behaviors, as well as goals for learning

writing and mathematics in everyday life, how to share, always cough

outcomes. Teachers cannot teach a child’s mind, body, and soul without

into your sleeve, trust, kindness, wonder, curiosity, laughter, and most

strong family connections.

of all love. These are formative years, and having solid, trusted, and loving role models in children’s lives is every bit as important as the curriculum those trusted role models are providing.

There are many ways that CARe supports a child’s development of mind, body, and soul.

Spending countless days, months and years with young children has allowed the CARe team to realize that as we guide the children to become their best selves, they guide us to become our best selves. The best educational experiences are almost always like that!

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ARE VALUED and EMPOWERED

By Maria Carpenter, Director of Elementary Our elementary school strives to provide an enriching environment where each child is guided and encouraged to discover his or her unique social, emotional, and cognitive potential while experiencing the importance of community.

We do this by creating a safe and nurturing environment where all children feel valued and empowered to be active thinkers and learners, so that they can be their very best by exercising their mind, body, and spirit. Our beautiful new elementary wing was designed to enhance our educational vision by creating a variety of spaces where children can learn in classrooms, hallways, and gathering spaces by working independently or collaborating with their peers. Our families are welcomed and very involved in their children’s experiences, which leads to success and inspires a love of learning—the heart of our philosophy!

BUILDING A STRONG MIND

Our students are engaged in their learning as our faculty intentionally

reflection leads to realistic and meaningful feedback about the

create meaningful real-life experiences that connect to their lessons

achievement for both current and future learning expectations. Building

with the world around them. During each term, our faculty immerse

the portfolio is an ongoing process throughout the school year, and

the students in a science study because young children are very

the student and/or classroom teacher may submit entries. It enables

curious and interested in nature and their environment. Essential

children to construct for themselves an authentic and lasting sense

curricular offerings, complementing and extending the science

of personal value and competence. Looking through the portfolio

topics, include instruction in literacy, mathematics, social studies,

during Spring Shared Conferences allows our students to reflect on

Spanish, visual art, movement, music, and media. However, it is the

their work, notice what has changed, and look ahead and plan for

method by which these academic subjects are taught that comprise the

what still needs to be done.

unique and innovative education children receive at Rectory.

Relevance, meaning, and interest are not inherently embedded within traditional academic subjects or topics, but they emerge from the learner. Our teachers acknowledge the central role of the child and structure educational experiences that foster personal meaning. Lesson plans are created with intention that incorporate children’s lives into the classrooms, thereby making learning a process that is wholly integrated into a child’s interpersonal relationships with classmates, teachers, and the campus community.

At Rectory, elementary children are guided to take active responsibility for their own learning and to develop the habits necessary to become lifelong learners. Through collaboration with the child, parents, and classroom teacher, three individual goals are created for each child to achieve during the school year. Goals are designed to be developmentally appropriate for each child, and may encompass desired outcomes in social, academic, and organizational areas. We believe that the need to reflect on experiences, as individuals and as a community, is essential to continued growth.

Documentation of children’s learning is gathered in portfolios that include goals, rubrics, anecdotal records, samples of children’s work, and assessments—formative and summative. Both teacher and child share in the process of selecting material for portfolios, which provides abundant opportunities for self-assessment and conversations. This

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BUILDING A STRONG BODY

Learning is present in all school environments, including the indoor classrooms, outdoor spaces, the Rectory School campus, and offcampus sites, with fine and gross motor movement as an important component of the day. Depending on what the students are studying, they may take tools and clipboards outside to observe the environment and document what they see. We want to encourage our children to seek learning in all environments; inside and outside of school, at home, and while visiting with others; not only while sitting at their classroom tables and chairs.

Elementary children participate in a movement class where they learn skills and fitness and are introduced to the rules of team sports. Additionally, they enjoy outside time every day after lunch (when the temperature is 32°F and above), when physical activity is an important component of the school day. Students look forward to Tuesday afternoons in January and February, when the entire elementary community, including families, are invited to participate in an hour of ice skating at Pomfret School’s Jahn Ice Rink. We also add a “choice” time to the K-1 day, where our youngest children can be more active and decide on an activity in which they are most interested.

Included is the opportunity to build with large hollow blocks, which we feel is an essential gross-motor material in a young child’s school experience.

Our students are engaged in their learning as our faculty intentionally create meaningful real-life experiences that connect to their lessons with the world around them.

BUILDING A STRONG SPIRIT

We strive to create a culture where every child is always expected to

this by donating our gingerbread houses to those in need, as well as

do his/her best, and teachers are committed to understanding the

contributing gifts for the holiday Tags for TEEG program, singing carols

strengths and weaknesses of each child and giving them the tools

for the elderly at Seely Brown, and making the world a better place by

they need to be successful. Conversations between children and their

doing something nice for Rectory, the community, and the world on

teachers are thoughtful, reflective, focused to evoke and explore

MLK Day.

understanding, and conducted so that all children have the opportunity to think and express their ideas. Teachers seek and value the children’s

At Rectory, academic learning, physical learning, and social-emotional

point of view, and children’s perspectives are teachers’ cues for ensuing

learning develop in the context of a positive environment where

lessons. In addition, the school community values relationships with

teachers nurture an individual relationship with each child. These

families and respects communication and input by inviting parents

supportive relationships scaffold skills, use direct instruction to teach

to share knowledge of their children, as we keep parents informed

specific social skills, and foster positive relationships among the

of what is happening at school and welcome them to participate in

children. The result is students who feel valued and empowered to

activities throughout the school year.

be active thinkers and learners, so that they can be their very best.

Each day begins with a morning meeting, so that elementary children are welcomed and their presence is recognized, valued, and appreciated as an integral part of our learning community. Children are encouraged to share something about themselves so others in the community can gain a greater understanding of that child as an individual, and we call it “What’s My Story.” Members of the group are allowed to ask three questions or comments, which allow the children to show their interest, empathy, and understanding.

Our intent is to behave with understanding, kindness, and compassion and to share responsibility for each other’s well-being. Whether it is divergent learning styles, beliefs, or cultures, we celebrate diversity and the qualities that make our classrooms, our community, and our world unique. We also create opportunities where children can do something to positively affect the lives of others, even when they are little. We do

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Our program provides opportunities for students to compete, explore, and learn off campus as well. Each student’s path at Rectory is very different, and as a school, we work hard to create an environment where a student’s path is unique, appreciated, and foundational to their growth.

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

Academics Build Confidence in Middle School Students

By Lisa Hart, Director of Academics Rectory’s personalized approach to developing children’s minds means exposing them to a wide breadth of experiences and providing opportunities for growth. As part of this personalized approach, we place a student in the best learning environment to support his/her needs. The academic schedule was created and focused around how students best learn and grow. The enrichment series provides time for students to learn from experts in a variety of subjects, including dissecting sharks and engineering a wind turbine. Students are provided with time to reach out to teachers for help, be a member of a study group for an upcoming test, or grab a snack and socialize with friends. At Rectory students hear encouragement from their teachers and their peers. Our program provides opportunities for students to compete, explore, and learn off campus as well. Each student’s path at Rectory is very different, and as a school, we work hard to create an environment where a student’s path is unique, appreciated, and foundational to their growth.

Typically a school’s schedule is simply a function of the day. Rectory’s schedule was carefully and thoughtfully designed to be student-centered. We take great pride in how we orchestrate the day, creating fewer transitions that result in more focused learning and easier flow from one class to the next. Our extended (one hour) class periods provide time for students to delve deeper into projects, the writing process, or a lab. Every minute is efficiently planned to provide the best opportunity for our students’ different learning styles.

In the classroom Rectory teachers take the time to understand every student’s starting point and nurture him/ her to realize their fullest potential. Teachers challenge students and provide them with support where and when they need it. Each student is unique; our small classes and brain-based approach to teaching provide a learning environment that encourages students to fully immerse themselves in, and assume responsibility for, their learning. Our students are sectioned based on their learning profiles, which gives students the support and encouragement they need to succeed at their own pace. Classes are designed to give students opportunities to best experience learning based on their learning styles, thus building confidence, understanding, and character.

Our goal is to understand our middle school students and their vast needs. For some, the need may be social—the opportunity to find out the latest news from their friends. For others, it may be active—the opportunity to play a game of four square or to throw a ball around. For some, it may just be to step back and find a quiet moment. But for each, it’s personal. Morning break with a snack provides that time.

Rectory’s elective offerings provide many opportunities for students to discover new interests or to further develop their passions. Electives range from robotics to improvisation, from community service to model car building, from chess to song writing. Electives allow our students to become journalists as they write for the school newspaper or editors as they take part in creating the annual yearbook. Our students’ opportunities also expand because this time allows students to take part in different performing arts offerings. This includes the more traditional offerings like orchestra, chorus, and the annual spring musical, but it also includes RECappella—(our audition-based a cappella group), jazz band, ninth-grade ensemble, and the spring marching band. Our Performing Arts Department provides many different opportunities for students to explore their musical talents.

Enrichment encourages students to learn how to self-advocate. All middle school students need to feel comfortable enough to ask questions and learn how to ask for help. Enrichment is a time when students receive academic support by meeting with a teacher or tutor for extra help. Our faculty supports our students as they explore their growing interests. This support allows students to understand that we all work together to support their growth, both as a student and as a person.

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

visit A Typical class With Mrs. Haines 8:15–8:25 Prepare to learn!

• Check our “Agenda,” to know what to expect this period and to ensure students have the proper materials.

• Write homework in assignment notebook.

• Complete Warm-Up. Warm-Ups can include writing/visual/ listening prompts, discussion questions, etc. The purpose of a warm-up is to activate student’s prior knowledge, have students make personal connections, review previously learned material, and give the students’ brain time to transition properly into class.

8:25–8:40 Let’s learn—I’ll show you!

Class discussion, teacher led, that includes the warm-up and introduction/explanation of period’s content. Various modalities are used, including visuals like videos, maps, graphs, pictures; reading of primary/secondary sources; modeling tasks; and note taking with close notes/graphic organizers. This is where I can go around to various students to ensure they are understanding the content, and if not work with them one-on-one.

Rectory’s signature program, the Individualized Instruction Program (IIP), provides additional strength to the academic foundation that students build at Rectory. It is time where students are taught in one-to-one settings and is integrated seamlessly into their regular class day. Each tutor and student relationship is one that is distinct from any other. It is a relationship where a student can find help with an academic need, or be challenged to further develop an area where he/she may already excel. The roots of IIP stretch to the first days of Rectory’s founding.

Many alumni stories include the fond memories they had working with their tutor and the impact that tutor made in their lives.

Through these unique experiences and relationships with peers and faculty, Rectory students solidify the foundation that they can build upon in school and in life. Rectory’s personalized approach to a student’s journey allows students from a variety of paths to find appreciation and opportunities; they sometimes surprise themselves with all that they have learned and experienced. Rectory’s personalized approach means students find the encouragement they need in their middle school years, resulting in their ability to learn to appreciate others while striving to be the best version of themselves. What a wonderful time to be surrounded by such diversity in learning styles, humor, growth, backgrounds, and beliefs, and to experience it all in a guided and supported environment!

8:40–9:00 Let’s learn—Now you show me!

Collaborative exploration and application activity. This can include hands-on research and creation activities in which students are required to think critically about the content being learned, answer higher-order thinking questions, and apply their learning by creating a visual/written representation of their understanding. These activities are modified to suit individual students learning styles and differences.

9:05–9:13 What’s the point?

Students reflect on what they’ve learned, the significance of it, and have the opportunity to ask questions. This can be done independently, with a peer/group, or as a whole class. This not only helps the student commit what they’ve learned to memory, but also helps to identify who may need re-teaching/enrichment.

9:13–9:15 Explanation of homework assignment.

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Jamie Haines has been at Rectory since 2011. She teaches sixth grade, is the History Department Team Leader, and an advisor. Mrs. Haines lives in Brooklyn, CT with her husband, Rusty, and their son, Logan.

PERSONALIZED APPROACH

Athletics Promote Lifelong Relationship With Fitness

By Glenn Ames, Director of Middle School Rectory’s personalized approach to developing a child’s body means

basketball at Lyndon State, said that athletics at Rectory nurtured

offering different opportunities for students that promote a lifelong

his confidence and his belief that he could overcome any and all

relationship with fitness. Rectory’s athletic program requires that every

challenges. Share a moment with any Rectory basketball player who

student participates in a sport in each of the three seasons. As a result,

had the good fortune to run the floor for Brad Seaward, and you

we are reflective and responsive to what our students want and what

will hear stories of lives transformed. Students who played hockey

we believe is appropriate in nurturing their physical well-being in

for Mr. Healy testify to the life-changing impact of his leadership and

addition to their athletic talents. Rectory’s athletic program provides

program. Just recently, Sarah Pasqualetti ‘14, a former Rectory fencer

offerings for our youngest students as well as our older, more serious

who now wields the foil for UCONN, attended an intra-squad fencing

athletes. At the recreational and junior varsity levels, coaches teach

match to lend her support and expertise. Colin Rodman ‘10 did the

the fundamentals of the particular sport, and students learn how to

same in his return to Connecticut from his home in Florida, coaching

work as a team with a common goal. Our varsity programs are more

alongside his dad, Matt, at a recent Varsity B basketball practice.

intense by comparison but share a similar approach in promoting sportsmanship and teamwork.

When asked why he played football, as it appeared something much different than his interests demonstrated, Gerard Kay ’03—a gifted

Over the past several years, in response to our changing world and

football, basketball, and track athlete at Rectory—pondered the

the interests of our students, Rectory has refined its athletic offerings.

question for several moments before responding: “I wanted to see

Our Admissions Office, ever attuned to the interests of our applicants,

what I was made of, to show others that I could not only play such a

communicates such information to our Athletic Director so that he can

physically demanding sport, but that I could be good at it, as well.”

explore the possibilities of meeting those interests. Swimming, squash,

Rectory’s personalized approach to developing a child’s body means

and volleyball were added within the past three years as a result of

providing students with the confidence to explore new and different

this interplay whereby student interests are continually shared and

athletic opportunities so that they can gain a better understanding

discussed as we seek to improve the athletic program. Some decisions

and appreciation of who they are and what they can accomplish—on

are made with a heavy heart but with the realization that times are

and off the field.

changing. Rectory’s storied football program, long an anchor of the fall season, concluded its final season in 2016 due to dwindling interest and a flood of concussion research that highlighted the inherent risks associated with the game of football. From football’s demise rose in its place Rectory’s newest athletic offering--CrossFit. CrossFit is an effective way to get fit. It is a fitness program that combines a wide variety of functional movements into a timed or scored workout. Anyone can do it. In many ways, CrossFit epitomizes the Rectory approach to athletics.

The CrossFit allure is that it allows participants to work within their own skill level in an environment that grows their athleticism, supported by teammates and coaches.

True Bryant, Rectory’s chaplain and coach of JV soccer and track put it best when he wrote, ”Rectory athletics offers its students the chance to test themselves mentally and physically, to try forms of sports that may be completely new to them, and to learn the lifelong skill of collaborating with others to accomplish a goal.” The impact

When my teaching career at Rectory began in 2001, it became increasingly clear that the classroom was going to be especially challenging for me, as I sought to learn and teach ninth-grade history to students of various abilities and interests. My time on the field, in contrast to

on our students working within such an environment is meaningful,

the classroom, felt natural and easy. For many of

purposeful, and long-lasting. Ask any Rectory student or alum what our

our students, Rectory’s athletic

athletic program has meant to him or her and you will hear stories that

program provides that same

inspire and bring purpose well beyond the athletic facilities that host our myriad offerings. Darnay Gray ‘11, presently enrolled and playing

comfort and outlet.

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

Supportive Environment Fosters Character Development

By Justin Bendall, Director of Residential Life and School Counseling Rectory’s personalized approach to developing a child’s soul means

day during specially scheduled blocks or in the evening when the

emphasizing the importance of developing good character traits. The

message is one that we feel important enough to share with parents.

Rectory Creed has been a guidepost for our community for many years

Topics have focused on how to choose and be a good friend, digital

and forms the backbone of the values we aim to instill in our students.

citizenship, and substance abuse as examples. Additionally, and new

The themes of Honesty, Compassion, Respect, and Responsibility

this year for our boarding students, is a documentary series. On the

are interwoven through classroom discussions, dorm interactions,

second Friday of every month, a film is shown to further educate

advisory meetings, and morning assemblies. Over the past few years,

and open the minds on wide-ranging subjects. Thus far we have

an emphasis has been placed on intentionally teaching these traits

seen documentaries on the benefits of kindness, an in-depth look at

throughout the school day.

how both boys and girls are influenced and affected by both societal expectations and mass media, as well as the challenges facing the

Our Related Arts classes, especially for the youngest students in the

over 1 billion people worldwide living in poverty. The effects of the

middle school who rotate through three focuses, are a natural fit

various Creed initiatives have been palpable; not only are students

to emphasize the tenets of the Creed. In the fifth and sixth grades,

reminding one another to be kind and holding each other accountable,

students have one hour per week in Self-Science class, which is taught

but we have been publicly recognizing students and faculty monthly,

by our two school counselors. It is in these early years in middle school

nominated by anyone who is moved to do so by submitting an email,

that we begin building the relationships with our specialists who

for random acts of kindness. It has been heartwarming to see and

are trained in the work of social and emotional growth. Lessons are

feel what a kind and generous community we have as the inbox has

taught about what the meaning and purpose is behind the words

continued to remain full all year. Also of note are the students who can

in the Creed; it is also where time is spent enhancing the emotional

be heard discussing the films they’ve seen and how their perspectives

intelligence of our youngest middle schoolers so that they may better

have changed as a result. In fact, while having dinner with a female

voice their feelings and advocate for themselves. The discussion-based

student the other night, she informed me that she chose her 9th-grade

classes conclude with work in the area of empathy—a vital ingredient

Capstone Project based on the screening of Miss Representation in our

to understanding and caring for others within any community.

documentary series.

Supplementing the Related Arts classes are periodic Creed events held

Rectory took a long look at the structure of the academic day three

throughout the year. These events occur either during the academic

years ago, and the result of that deep dive included the identification of

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

the importance of the advisory period. Where once advisory met one

During the same year the academic schedule transitioned to its current

time each week, we now meet three times for a total of one hour of

status, Rectory introduced an in-house counseling department. We

face time each week. Additionally, advisory groups are kept small—

now have two full-time faculty on staff who have extensive experience

the majority have four students per advisor, with a few maxing out at

supporting adolescents as they navigate what can oftentimes be a

five (based on students returning and our belief that maintaining that

challenging time developmentally. Students have found the opportunity

continuity of care and naturally occurring strong relationship that

to talk about their day, challenges in the classroom, and peer

has been built is necessary). Keeping advisory groups small allows for

relationships to be valuable. Also, having two counselors on staff, both

students to build lasting, close connections with each other as well as

of whom live on campus and interact with students in all aspects of life

their faculty mentors. Many other schools have much larger advisory

on campus, allows for comprehensive knowledge of each student and

groups, but in keeping with our dedication to relationships at Rectory

the environmental factors that impacts his or her daily life. Students

and providing opportunities for strong bonds to be created between

who have matriculated from a non-traditional school have found

adults and students, this format allows for a variety of topics and

success at Rectory in prior years, but with the creation of the counseling

issues to be approached personally. With a healthy combination of

department, we are better prepared than ever to support and serve

assigned activities—setting and reviewing semester and yearlong

those students and their families.

goals, soliciting feedback and discussing school climate, teaching organization skills, and addressing broad social issues—as well as

Middle school can be incredibly challenging for students. These

allowing for and encouraging organic conversations to occur within

years represent transitions on many different levels—most notably

the safe environment of trusted peers and adults, our advisory period

social and academic. Rectory’s supportive environment, as well as the

is a much anticipated block in the day. Walking the hallways and

programs intentionally designed to help students better understand

ducking into the rooms while these groups are meeting, one is likely

themselves, and, perhaps more importantly, turn some of their

to find engaged students and faculty talking—and, perhaps more

focus on understanding and helping other people, helps them

importantly, listening—to one another share their concerns, fears,

build a strong social-emotional foundation. Rectory’s personalized

successes, and opinions. Advisors serve as the primary advocate

approach to developing a student’s soul means providing the support,

for their advisees and communication between teachers, parents,

encouragement, and tools necessary to build confidence and self-

and dorm parents is facilitated by advisors, with great care and

awareness that will ensure that each child can lead a successful,

understanding of each of their charges.

productive, and fulfilling life.

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PERSONALIZED APPROACH

the iip program: one–on–one learning Rectory’s Individualized Instruction Program (IIP) epitomizes Rectory’s personal approach and has been a keystone of our academic program since its inception. Over the years, the program evolved and today serves children with a variety of learning styles, interests, study habits, and academic needs. IIP continues as a vital component in the School’s overall capability to fulfill its mission, nurturing the whole child within a caring, individualized learning environment.

A special relationship is developed between tutor and tutee as the tutor often becomes the student’s most trusted confidant, mentor, advocate, cheerleader, and surrogate parent. As often as possible, a student’s tutor is also his/her advisor and therefore the primary contact between the school and parents. This completes the circle of support and provides the strongest and most personalized learning experience.

a long history of personalized learning The origins of IIP reach back in the School’s history to the 1930s when the Bigelows’ eldest child, Elizabeth, worked with the Durrell-Sullivan Clinic in Boston; and to the 1940s when John Bigelow, her brother, began an association with Dr. Samuel T. Orton, a neurologist who pioneered research on specific language disability.

Indeed, when the Orton Society (named for Dr. Orton and eventually renamed the International Dyslexia Association) was founded in 1949, many of Rectory’s faculty were charter members. In the 1960s, the Society was headquartered at Rectory, and the School’s headmaster, John Bigelow, was treasurer of the Society for fifteen years.

The first director of Rectory’s Language Retraining Program received her early training in dyslexia at the New York Neurological Institute where Dr. Orton designed his Language Research Project and collaborated with Anna Gillingham. Through its Language Retraining Program (what is now IIP), Rectory helped to pioneer the use of Orton-Gillingham principles: a highly structured, sequential, multisensory approach to remediating students with a specific disability in reading, spelling, and penmanship.

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We did it! the tang challenge for excellence in teaching On January 15 we reached our goal of raising $2.5 million by 186 donors toward The Tang Challenge for Excellence in Teaching. We will now receive the $2.5 million match by the Tang Family and in total have over $7.5 million in the Tang Family Endowment for Excellence in Teaching. These funds will provide both an immediate and sustained impact on faculty benefits and salaries. We will now be better able to attract and retain the best educators as well as provide a salary that more fairly rewards the faculty for their dedication and excellence.

This is truly a pivotal moment in Rectory’s history.

We thank the Tang Family for their continued support and leadership at Rectory, and for offering a challenge that allowed our entire School community to help reward the best possible performance in Rectory’s classrooms.

And we thank everyone who has helped us reach this milestone through their generous support.

Because of this support, we were able to achieve this amazing milestone, and now we will be able to attract and retain the best faculty our industry has to offer.

Thank you!

The Challenge Initial Outright Gift

$2,500,000

Challenge Goal

$2,500,000

1:1 Match

$2,500,000

TOTAL

$7,500,000

What that means: Each year Rectory will be able to draw a percentage from The Tang Family Endowment that will help supply the School with the necessary funds to help support our teachers with increased benefits and salaries.

The immediate impact on our faculty: $50,000 was used to increase teachers’ salaries in 2016.

$100,000 in additional funds were used to increase teachers’ salaries in 2017.

$325,000+ in additional funds will be generated annually to increase teachers’ salaries.

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AROUND CAMPUS

compassion in action During Mr. Ames and Mrs. Hart’s fifth– seventh grade Community Service elective in the fall, students raised money for breast cancer research and helped rake leaves around campus to assist the maintenance crew. Mr. Seaward and Ms. Morano accompanied ninth-grade students to visit Westview Health Care Center. They visited residents in hallways and the formal dining room in addition to the outpatient aquatic center and sports medicine department. When a series of hurricanes hit the United States coastlines, students, along with Mr. Williams, collected donations at the day student drop-off and ran bake sales to raise money for those in need.

In October and November, Mr. Seaward ran his Hoops for Hunger free basketball clinics in the Rectory gymnasium. Participants were asked to bring a can of food or a monetary donation, which in turn were given to local Participating in community service is an important part of Rectory’s education. Not only do students volunteer in select electives but the school builds the concept of volunteerism into their foundation for life.

Read more at: www.rectoryschool.org/kindness

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THE RECTORY NEWS | WINTER 2018

families in need. In December the elementary school students spent an afternoon decorating gingerbread houses, which were then donated to TEEG (Thompson Ecumenical Empowerment Group) and Seely-Brown Village. At our Heart-y Party, held each December, students filled bags with small gifts to give to local charities. In the months leading up to this day, they made hats and playdough and helped gather other items to go into the bags. During our big storm in early January, several students rose before dawn to help shovel and get school paths ready for a late opening.

This year was our ninth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, a tradition started

by Headmaster Fred Williams in 2010. All elementary and middle school students participated in service activities in order to

honor Dr. King’s legacy of service and to emphasize the responsibility we all have to serve others. Activities included inside and outside clean-up of churches, making blankets for TEEG, cleaning the aquatic area of the Hale YMCA, working in a soup kitchen, volunteering at local farms and the Audubon, making Valentine cupcakes for Meals on Wheels, cooking at Brittain house for local families, helping in the Rectory archives, cleaning the library, gym, and science lab, and stacking firewood for retirees.

u at see yo we’ll ekend ily we m a f g Sprin

special events build community

AROUND CAMPUS

7–28 2 l i r p a

Third Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

For the third year in a row, Thanksgiving dinner was held in the dining hall at Rectory School.

On Sunday, November 19, 2017, just a few days before students headed home to be with their own families or stay with faculty families, Rectory students, faculty, and special guests sat down for a formal Thanksgiving dinner. Chef Kim Humphrey put together the menu this year which included: oven roasted turkey breast with velvet gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, stuffing with Craisins, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, assorted rolls with butter, and pumpkin pie bars. She said, “I enjoy sharing our American traditions with the students and learning about their traditions and customs, as well.”

Sitting down for a formal meal like this brings our student body together for a unique opportunity to share a special meal together and to also sit and talk with other members of the community. Former faculty who live nearby and other members of the community are invited each year to join students for the meal. This interaction with others in the community teaches our students about engaging in conversation, sharing their own traditions, and, for our international students, learning about American traditions.

Author Peter Brown, sharing his work at an all-school assembly busy fall for Care program

The team at our Children at Rectory (CARe) program had a busy fall in 2017. While they have been working towards their fourth NAEYC Accreditation, Melissa Brytowski, head infant/toddler teacher, also graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Studies.

In September they completed an author study on Peter Brown who visited campus on the 18th. Author and illustrator of The Wild Robot, Mr. Brown has also illustrated numerous books for younger children, including Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, The Curious Garden, and Creepy Carrots, among others.

The CARe Parent Committee had their first meeting in October. Parents were given opportunities to volunteer for events, help with accreditation materials, and generate items for program improvement.

Holiday Chapel

The first snow of winter arrived a few days before our annual Holiday Chapel held on December 13, 2017, making it even more festive than usual. We are grateful that each year, Pomfret School lets us hold our service in their Clark Chapel, built in 1908, and acoustically makes for a very special service. The middle school chorus and our RECappella group sang a lovely assortment of carols and Christmas songs accompanied by stories of Hanukkah. The entire congregation joined in on hymns such as “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Oh Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Silent Night,” filling the air with a gathering of voices. Rectory’s Chaplain, True Bryant, worked with students and faculty members to select the appropriate readings. Donna Bessette, Director of the Arts, selected the music. Richard Prario, a tutor in our Individualized Instruction Program, was the organist for the service, and noted that it is an absolute joy to play such a beautiful pipe organ, which was built by George S. Hutchings Organ Company of Boston and has been restored and expanded over the years.

On Halloween the children of CARe delighted our faculty and administration team as they trick or treated throughout our main school building. After a month of studying the moon cycle, in November they hosted their annual Full Moon Party.

CARe families also gathered food for the local food bank. To wrap up what had already been a busy year, in December the families gifted to local families in need through the Tags for TEEG program. The children are planning their next giving project for January.

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AROUND CAMPUS

As you first walk into the entryway of the new Wolf Den, you can see some photos of the old dining hall, which was formerly located in the same space.

Chef Jimmy Hunsucker, and his wife Odessa, circa 1965 22

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rectory’s New Wolf Den

By Natalie Perkins ’19 INSET LEFT: Students’ get their first look at the much-anticipated opening of the Wolf Den.

Friday, October 20, 2017, during Fall Family Weekend, Rectory School celebrated the opening of the Wolf Den. Does that mean there will now be wolves lounging around campus? Certainly not; that wouldn’t be safe. The Wolf Den is the new student lounge, located in Rectory’s old dining hall and the former grade 2-3 classroom.

The ribbon cutting took place on Friday afternoon with Rectory’s Headmaster, Mr. Williams, giving a wonderful speech to the parents and students. The students were so excited to see their new lounge that Mr. Williams had to hold them back at the door. First he wanted to acknowledge the Rectory parent whose company did the renovations, Mr. Jonathan Fahey. Mr. Williams also announced the co-student managers of the Wolf Den, Sunny C. and Angelina Q., both ninth graders. When he finally cut the ribbon and let the students and parents enter, they were all amazed at how beautiful and nostalgic it looked.

As you first walk into the entryway of the new Wolf Den, on your right you can see some photos of the old dining hall, which was formerly located in the same space. As you leave the entryway and enter the lounge, the large stained glass mosaic of Wolfie, which the Glass With Class MELP (Rectory’s annual March Experiential Learning Program) created a couple of years ago, seems to be staring right at you. Then you are overtaken by a space that looks exactly like a diner from the 1950s that the headmaster’s wife, Mrs. Williams, designed. There are large, colorful prints on the walls, a food counter with tall stools, and brightly colored, comfy couches and chairs for the students to relax on as they watch the new flat-screen TV, or sit and chat with their friends. There is a fireplace near the entrance and some games in the TV room such as foosball and ping pong. There is a brand new sound system throughout, so students can listen to their favorite music, and food will be sold over the counter, since we know that middle school students are always hungry (more about that later). It is such a bright and cheerful space, and it is apparent that a lot of thought was put into its design, with the focal point being the enjoyment of the students.

What Mr. Williams envisions is for the Wolf Den to be used by the students during morning breaks in the winter, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm between sports and dinner, and from 8:00 to 9:00 pm after study hall.

He noted that it won’t be open every day at each of these times, but rather, these times will be staggered throughout the week. For example, the Wolf Den might be open on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:00 pm and then on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 to 9:00 pm. On weekends, students will be able to decide if they want to go to the Wolf Den or one of the student activity blocks. Finally, we have a place for boys and girls to get together, as we now have a designated interior space for boarding and day students of all ages to gather for social purposes.

The Wolf Den will be offering a variety of pre-packaged snacks that will be paid with “Wolfie Bucks” punch cards. To get Wolfie Bucks punch cards, students must go to the school store ahead of time and pay cash or withdraw money from their school account; they will then be given a gift card worth $10.00 that they can use at the Wolf Den only. The Wolf Den will have frozen foods that can be microwaved, as well as other tasty snacks, so in the winter students can snuggle up by the fire and have some warm food. Students are always hungry after sports, so these snacks will hold them over until dinner time. After study hall, where students use up all their brainpower finishing their homework, they are also very hungry. As you can see, the Wolf Den is a much needed space for students to have fun and relax.

The DiRectory (Rectory’s student newspaper) scheduled an interview with Headmaster Williams right before the grand opening of the Wolf Den. When asked what he thought of this new student lounge, he said, “I am super excited! I am excited for a number of reasons. Number 1, I think this will be a fantastic space, and I think the kids are going to love it! ” As you can see, Mr. Williams is so excited about the new student lounge and everyone else on the Rectory campus is, too.

Natalie Perkins is an 8th-grade student and a reporter for the DiRectory, the School’s student newspaper (www. rectoryschool.org/newspaper). She is the daughter of Polly Spring and Breck Perkins ’73 of Stonington, CT. THE RECTORY NEWS | WINTER 2018

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ATHLETICS

rectory athletics: Fall wrap up

By Colleen B. O’Neil, Sports Information Director Many wonderful things happened on the athletic fields across our campus throughout the beautiful New England afternoons. Both boys’ and girls’ soccer programs continued to grow and develop the talented student-athletes who chose to spend time on the soccer pitch each day.

Teams worked on the fundamentals of the game, as well as fitness, skills, strategy, and sportsmanship. The girls’ soccer team also enjoyed their new home on a larger field behind the gymnasium!

The cross-country team held true to the tradition of success and again found themselves with many excellent runners crossing the tape at the head of the pack each race. At the end of the season League Finals, the girls’ team placed fifth overall, an impressive feat, given they only had six runners, and the boys placed an equally impressive second overall!

Our varsity volleyball team worked their way to an almost perfect season, losing only their final match against a talented high school team. The great group of girls on the team genuinely enjoyed their time together and set the tone for the entire program. The younger group of JV players emulated the older girls in passion, if not yet in experience.

The gymnasium was always filled with laughter, kindness, and support for teammates, coaches, officials, and opponents.

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New offerings this fall were our dance and CrossFit teams. While dance has been a Rectory athletic offering for years, it has always taken place during the winter term. This year, becuase of the switch in season and with the addition of a barre to the wrestling room wall, the dancers were able to utilize their new space and equipment and dance their hearts away each afternoon. CrossFit was a popular choice for many athletes whose main athletic focus was another sport. Rectory coaches were joined by trained CrossFit coaches each afternoon to take the students through a variety of strength and cardio workouts. They all worked tremendously hard each day and were able to physically see the gains they made over the course of the season.

The fall adventures and equestrian teams enjoyed their time on our trails and at the barn each afternoon. Coaches reported high spirits, enthusiasm, and participation from all their adventurers and riders!

This was the first fall season I did not coach in ten years, and it was a joy to walk around the fields and watch games and practices and talk to coaches and players about their teams. The bonds that are formed between teammates and coaches and players are indescribable.

The Rectory School athletic program provides students with the opportunity to belong to a team and make lasting memories each season and this fall proved no different.

ATHLETICS

Fall in New England is a gorgeous time to be outside, and when you can experience the idyllic backdrop and beautiful autumnal weather while watching your favorite Rectory sports team, you will find little to complain about. As we reflect on another great Rectory athletics season, coaches and players want to sincerely thank all of their friends and family who showed support across the season.

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ATHLETICS

Fall sports

Our teams enjoyed another a successful fall season.

FROM TOP LEFT: Volleyball,

CrossFit (a new addition this fall), cross country and boys varsity soccer.

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dance

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THE RECTORY NEWS | WINTER 2018

(also added this fall), equestrian, girls soccer and cross country.

ATHLETICS

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27

ALUMNI

alumni events With such a wide range in class years represented, it was great to hear our alumni share their memories of Rectory and to have the chance to update the group on the incredible happenings on the Rectory campus. Many of our alumni shared fond memories of Rectory traditions that continue today: Black & Orange Day, waiters at dinner, and the family-like sense of community that Rectory has long been known for. We enjoyed catching up with everyone and hope to see many of our event attendees back on campus for Spring Family Weekend and Alumni Reunion Weekend—Saturday, April 28, 2018.

Bermuda reception

Fred Williams, Brad Seaward, and Lesley Gibbs traveled to Bermuda this fall for a joint reception with Brewster Academy. The reception was co-hosted by Daina Outerbridge P’11; Jonelle and Glen Smith P’11, P’13; and Valerie and Charles Crisson ’80. We enjoyed working with Brewster to reconnect with our alumni, and it was great to see all the different connections between Rectory and Brewster, including crossover of alumni and faculty. The Rectory crew was also able to check out the local squash clubs and tour the Learning Clinic, founded by Betty Kitson P’60, in addition to catching up with Rectory alumni.

A highlight for many of the attendees was being able to reminisce with Mr. Seaward about their Rectory days.

BERMUDA (left to right): Brad Seaward P’00, P’02, Bruce Menzies ‘84,

Somers Smith ‘11; Betty Kitson P’60, Lesley Gibbs P’15, P’17

Southern Connecticut reception

In late September, Rectory alumni and parents gathered at Half Full Brewery in Stamford. Attendees enjoyed looking at yearbooks and old photos, as well as catching up with Rectory faculty and administrators. There were alumni from class years spanning 1962-2004, as well as current and past parents. The evening culminated in a brewery tour and remarks from Headmaster Fred Williams.

SOUTHERN CT (left to right): George Getz ‘84, Bobby Hoyt ‘84, Jed Gore ‘84;

John Stanton ‘76, Meg Tobin, Patrick Nielsen ‘04 ATLANTA (left to right):

Elizabeth Zimmermann ‘84, Richard Courts ‘86, Robert Long ‘85, Natasha Harvey Swann ‘84, Brad Seaward P’00, P’02, Carter Hagler ‘73, Mason McCarthy ‘84, Lee Davis ‘02, Ariel Doran, Sara Pepper, Win Simmons ‘01, Lou Holtz, Freddy Nagle P’20, Malon Courts ‘84, Fred Williams, Henry Bowden ‘01 Atlanta reception

Rectory alumni and parents attended our Atlanta Reception this October, held at Spalding Nix Fine Arts. Attendees chatted over drinks and hors d’oeuvres, surrounded by two exhibits titled “Menagerie” and “Black Belt Color,” featuring work from well-known local artists. Fred Williams, Brad Seaward, and Freddy Nagle were able to share news from Rectory’s campus with alumni from class years 1973–2002 and parents, as well as learn about each attendee’s Rectory story.

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ALUMNI

NYC Pop-Up Event

Alumni from class years spanning 1956–2013 had the chance to reminisce and reconnect with one another and members of the Rectory community at the Grey Lady, a trendy oyster bar on the Lower East Side owned by Rectory alumnus Gavin McLaughlin ’93. There were many stories shared over oysters and appetizers, and Fred Williams, Brad Seaward, Glenn Ames, and Freddy Nagle enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with alums they had previously taught, coached, or had on dorm.

join us at an alumni event!

Rectory hosts many regional events throughout the course of the year. These events help us to reconnect with our alumni, socialize with current and past parents, and unite our community. If you are interested in opening your home, or hosting an event at a local venue, please reach out to us!

Amy Lusa at amy.lusa@rectoryschool.org We’d love to see you!

NEW YORK (Clockwise from top left):

Naasir Williams ‘09, Cameron Williams ‘06, Brad Seaward P’00, P’02, Jamel Torrence ‘09, and Quadry Anderson ‘09; Glenn Ames P’18, P’21 and Alexander Werner ‘03; Bill Downer ‘68 and Stuart Brodsky ‘78; Zeke Freeman ‘89, Fred and Marcia Williams, and Gavin McLaughlin ‘93, owner of the Grey Lady.

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ALUMNI

alumni notes 1940s Michael Henderson ’45 Michael is Author of 13 books. The latest is A Harvest of Friendships, a story of World War II child evacuees, American generosity and British gratitude, published in the United States in 2017.

1950s John “Jack” Bigelow Jr. ’50 Jack is enjoying Florida retirement and hoping to make it to Rectory’s 100th. He is also a former Rectory faculty member: 1960–1963.

Thomas Succop ’50 As a board member, Tom continues to be involved in devoting time and energy to the Hospital Albert Schweitzer in the country of Haiti. That association, started in 2007, continues to be rewarding as the hospital does its best to deliver health care and to save lives in the most poverty-sticken nation in the Western Hemisphere. In addition, Tom continues to be involved in environmental causes, especially with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, and is on the board of both organizations. In Tom’s own words, “The thing that I miss about Rectory School is not knowing about the students with whom I graduated in 1950. We all must be in our early eighties! What sayeth any of you?

Re: Rectory, I think the thrust of augmenting teacher’s salaries and benefits is admirable and should be continued. My occasional contact with Headmaster Fred Williams has always been positive. Best wishes to all people involved in continuing the Bigelow Legacy.”

Norman “Punch” Smith ’56 In Punch’s own words, “To fight Father Time I play tennis, treadmill 2.5 miles daily, volunteer at a food bank and Toys for Tots, plus am director of a mentoring ministry in our East Cooper area, play fantasy baseball, and watch grandkids play school sports. My

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Michael Henderson ‘45 with Headmaster Fred Williams.

wife of 54 years, Nancy, is hanging tough with me. Rectory will always have a special place in my heart. I read with deep respect and admiration of all that Oscar Tang is doing to support Rectory. He was several years ahead of me and was in my Saturday cookout/picnic group. He was always so kind and helpful to the younger boys.”

1960s Charles “Charlie” Walbridge ’62 After running a canoe and kayak specialty shop for 22 years, Charlie became a sales rep to the whitewater rafting business for 20 years until his retirement in 2014. He and his wife owned a cabin in northern WV and moved there from Philadelphia 20 years ago.

They still enjoy rafting and savor the beauty and slow pace of life in the area. Charlie has been on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Cheat River, a local watershed group, working to clean up this beautiful river, protect the marvelous Cheat Canyon, and promote outdoor recreation there. Recently he was recognized as the 2017 Watershed Champion by the West Virginia Watershed Network.

Rick Smith ’64 Rick is living in Royal Oak, MI with his wife,

Rita. He is a manufacturers’ rep representing manufacturers of custom metal and plastic components. Rick has two daughters, one living in NJ and the other living in PA, and currently has four grandchildren. Hobbies that occupy his spare time are mountain biking in summer and skiing in winter.

1970s Stephen Wagner ’70 Stephen retired in 2011 as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. He served as Coast Guard Auxiliary Quartermaster on US Coast Guard Barque Eagle. He was also Captain of Falmouth/Edgartown Ferry during summer and relief Captain for Penikese Island boat.

Richard “Mac” Jackson ’72 Richard is living with his family in Waitsfield,VT. He is working in the ski industry at Sugarbush Resort, Mad River Glen and Professional Ski Instructors of America-Eastern Division.

Breck Perkins ’73 Breck lives in Stonington, CT with his wife, Polly, and children Natalie (13) and Jack (13). He is working as a partner at StuartLynn Company, a construction consulting firm servicing architectural firms across the

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early inspiration from headmaster John green stuart brodsky ’78 Stuart is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Sustainable Real Estate Development, as well as Director of the Center for Sustainable Built Environment at New York University.

Even at a young age, buildings and architecture interested Stuart.

The reading and writing skills he developed at Rectory­—along with the support and guidance he received from faculty—helped to shape his academic and professional future.

When Stuart first came to Rectory as a fifth-grade boarder in 1973, he was reading at a first-grade level. By the end of his first year, he was reading at a seventh-grade level, an improvement he credits largely to the one-on-one time spent with his tutors and teachers: Mrs. Saunders, Mrs. Jennings, Mrs. Jackman, Mrs. Haley, and Mrs. Barker. Each day, Stuart and his tutor would review his assignment notebook and make a plan for how to best use his time in study hall in order to complete all of his work. He attributes this structure and discipline as a major strength of his academic experience. The sense of structure and discipline continued from the tutoring stations in the Main House to the classroom, where small classes enabled relationships to form between faculty and students.

Many of Stuart’s memories of his time at Rectory were shaped by faculty members who had a major influence on his life: Of course Mr. Bigelow. If you put your elbows on the dining table, you’d get a good whack with a serving spoon, even if you were at the far end of the table from him. And you’d never see him coming. Mr. and Mrs. Jackman taught me math and reading my first year. Mr. Groom used to say the prayer at every meal. Ultimately, Mr. Green was a huge influence on me. I was interested in buildings. He used to talk with me about saving energy and water on campus, and how doing that would result in more tuition dollars going to teaching and school supplies.

Really he taught me energy efficiency, and I’m still doing that.

After four years of boarding at Rectory, Stuart went to a day school, Rutgers Prep, closer to where his family lived in central New Jersey. He then attended Hobart College where he majored in literature and took classes in urban architecture that, “aggressively tested those reading skills I learned at Rectory.” After graduating, he worked in real estate before realizing he was interested more in the “why and how” buildings were built than actually building them. He eventually returned to school to study architectural design at Rice University, ultimately finishing his degree with a building research program he designed himself at the Yale School of Architecture. Stuart spent several years working for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), helping to launch the Energy Star program. He is now a professor at the Schack

Institute of Real Estate at New York University (NYU), where he teaches graduate students about energy efficiency.

Although Stuart never planned to be a professor, he felt comfortable with the transition because of his many public speaking opportunities while at the EPA and because of the teaching role models he had at Rectory. Stuart’s biggest impression of teaching is “the importance of how you deliver the information to students, the pace and style of hearing versus listening.” Stuart said the instruction he received as a student at Rectory taught a skill set as well as lesson content. The emphasis was teaching students how to learn as they learn. “What they’re really learning is how to look at information and process it, not necessarily the topic of the class.” For Stuart, a highlight of his role as professor is “watching one of my graduate students get really excited about something he or she just learned. Since I love learning, I guess I appreciate it when I witness—or even help—students learn for themselves too.”

Quick Q&A with Stuart Brodsky ’78 Interviewed by Amy Lusa, Alumni Relations Coordinator AMY: How did your time at Rectory shape/influence your life?

STUART: I learned to read and write and this allowed my imagination to kick into high gear. I can’t imagine life without that. I learned that the lions in front of the NYC public library are Patience and Fortitude, and the enduring value in these characteristics. In my job at NYU, I walk by those lions in midtown every day now.

AMY: If you could give one piece of advice to current Rectory students, what would it be?

STUART: Keep practicing your learning skills and study habits, before you lose them; especially the ability to concentrate. We get distracted too easily these days.

AMY: What keeps you connected to Rectory?

STUART: Gratitude. And sentimentality.

INSET: Stuart on the JV basketball team, winter ’73–’74

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Jim Leach ‘76 recently returned to Rectory for a campus visit; Coley Bookbinder ‘78, recipient of the 2017 Five Star Wealth Manager Award; Christopher Barry ‘81 aboard a new drillship.

parent.” Breck and his family spend a great deal of time on the water either rowing on the Mystic River or out on Fishers Island Sound.

Breck Perkins ‘73 and daughter, Natalie ‘19 on move-in day at Rectory.

country. His daughter Natalie is attending Rectory as an eighth grader and enjoying being on the volleyball team in the fall and playing hockey in the winter. In his own words, “Rectory has had a tremendous effect on her studies, and we are so proud of her achievements this year. The school has changed so much for the better since I attended, and it has been interesting to see the school from a different perspective as a

James “Jim” Leach ’76 Jim enjoyed a recent visit to Rectory, where he was able to tour the campus, visit his old dorm room in Dining Dormitory, and eat in the Dining Hall with Freddy Nagle. He was excited to return to Rectory, and said visiting with Fred Williams in the Headmaster’s office reminded him of the days of interviewing with John Bigelow and brought back a lot of memories.

S. Coleman “Coley” Bookbinder ’78 Coley, a Financial Advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors, has received the 2017 Five Star Wealth Manager award. Recipients are selected from nominations from peers or firms and awards are based on 10 objective criteria including client retention rates, client assets administered, firm review, and favorable regulatory and complaint history.

Coley works with a select group of clients designing portfolios in accordance to their risk tolerance and monitors the portfolios and the ongoing strategy. In his own words, “These investment solutions and strategies with consistent meetings and reviews have helped me to become recognized as a 5 Star

adventure is out there! lorenzo fornari ’91 Lorenzo often thinks back to his Rectory years with great nostalgia. In his own words, “they were some of the best times of my life and certainly helped shaped who I am today.” Lorenzo moved to Europe after Rectory and stayed there (Rome, Brussels, Prague, Paris, and Luxembourg mainly), finishing both high school and university in Europe. After a career in satellite telecoms, he switched to the ever uncertain but exciting and rewarding world of entrepreneurship. His current startup is a company called The Outdoor Journal (outdoorjournal.com), an international website and print magazine centered around outdoor adventure, sports, sustainable travel, and the environment. Among other things, they are also a media consulting and creation agency in this domain. After a lot of work, they just launched an adventure travel booking website that is highly curated and vetted by Lorenzo and his colleagues, as they are experts in this domain and know some of the greatest athletes and adventurers in the world, who constantly give them amazing inside tips. They also pride themselves by choosing “only the best, safest, and environmentally responsible operators in the world.” It’s called outdoorvoyage.com. Lorenzo invites members of the Rectory community to check out the adventures that Outdoor Voyage offers and to mention Rectory when reaching out.

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send us your updates and upload your photos: rectoryschool.org/alumni

Lisa Walsh ‘84 with daughter, Sophia, at a recent fencing competition. Pete Chelala ‘91, center, with Headmaster Williams and Director of Development, Freddy Nagle in New York this fall. Adam Friedman ‘99, Corrections Officer for Otsego County Sheriff in Cooperstown, NY. PK Smith ‘05 with Fred and Marcia Williams during their visit to Hong Kong this fall.

Wealth Manager and will be recognized in Philadelphia magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and featured among Wells Fargo Advisors. I work hard at listening carefully to understand clients’ unique needs, and offering personalized recommendations on how best to save and invest for the future.”

1980s Peter Berk ’80 Peter and his family are enjoying life in New York City. His daughter Carrie just had her Bat Mitzvah, in which he had the honor of blowing the shofar which is a ram’s horn. Life in the city is great, but he misses the beautiful landscapes that he remembers from walking around the Rectory campus. In Peter’s own words, “It would be great to reconnect with any alumni around my year.”

Christopher Barry ’81 Christopher is sailing from South Korea to Cape Town, South Africa, on a maiden voyage of a new drillship bound for the Gulf of Mexico.

Matthew Green ’82 Falmouth Academy has named Matthew Green as the next head of school, starting in the 2018-19 school year. Matt is thrilled to be joining the Falmouth Academy community.

He says he was drawn to “the clarity and simplicity of Falmouth Academy’s mission, its belief in the power of close teacher-student

relationships, its noble goal of graduating students who care for their environment and community, and its long-standing commitment to the written and spoken word.” He adds that “excellence abounds in so many areas, but what truly impressed me was the higher bar the faculty seemed to set for themselves; they measure success not only by the destinations their students reach, but also by the distance each has traveled.”

Gavin McLaughlin ’93

Lisa Walsh ’84

Adam started working as a corrections officer for Otsego County Sheriff in Cooperstown, NY, in August 2014. At the same time, he bought his own house a short distance from the family farm, where he makes and sells hay in the summertime. Adam takes pride in being energy efficient through the use of solar panels and a solar thermal hot water system. Adam has been active on his local fire department since 2011 and participates in two billiards leagues in his area.

Lisa has been working at Rectory for over six months and is loving her job! In her own words, “It has been so great to reconnect with so many fellow classmates at various alumni events.” On the weekends Lisa travels with her 17-year old daughter, Sophia, throughout New England going to fencing competitions.

Sophia practices at the Rhode Island Fencing Academy.

Gavin is the owner of the Grey Lady, an oyster bar on the lower east side in NYC that was the site of a recent Rectory event. He also owns two other Grey Lady restaurants, in Aspen and Montauk, as well as a largescale catering business based at the NYC restaurant. Gavin enjoyed reconnecting with classmates and fellow Rectory alumni.

Adam “Freebird” Friedman ’99

Gerald “Gerry” Riker ’87 Gerry has recently moved to Marion, MA from Block Island, RI. He has taken a management role with Woodmeister Master Builders out of Holden, MA

1990s Pete Chelela ’91 Pete is a VP of Mobile & Cross-Platform Video Advertising Sales at Viacom and lives in New York.

2000s Paul “PK” Smith ’05 PK is the strategy director for an education sector start-up in Hong Kong. He has also worked as an international recruiter for the Chinese University of Hong Kong and as a marketing consultant. He began his career in Asia studying intensive Mandarin at the University of Jinan in China’s Shandong province.

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Hannah (Smith) Stewart ’08 Hannah is happy to be back “home” working and living at Rectory. She works in the tech office as a help desk technician, teaches elementary school media, coaches girls soccer and track, and is a dorm parent at Out of Bounds. Hannah married her best friend, Stephen Stewart, at the Pond House Cafe on January 5, 2018. Hannah is so thankful to be welcomed back into the Rectory community and cannot wait to see her Rectory friends as they celebrate their 10-year reunion this spring.

Frank West ’08 After graduating from Radford University in December 2015, Frank took a job with his alma mater. He now works in the Office of Alumni Relations, traveling and meeting with alumni in the Richmond, VA and Washington, DC areas, with future plans of the Philadelphia, New York, and Boston areas. In October, Frank got engaged to his

girlfriend of three years, Danielle, who is graduating in May with a master’s degree and hopes to be teaching kindergarten somewhere next fall. Frank says, “I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since graduating from Rectory!” and hopes to see everyone soon.

2010s Correction: Shailyn Lineberry ’13 is attending the University of Denver, not the University of Colorado at Denver, as was originally reported in the previous edition of Alumni Notes in the summer issue of The Rectory News.

Zachary “Zach” Haigney ’10 Zach recently graduated from Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL where he majored in Investment Management. Upon graduating, he was given an internship with Kimco Realty Corporation in their Leasing department, where he also oversaw the operations of ground up mixed use

developments. Upon the completion of his internship, Zach was given a full time opportunity to take over the Tampa real estate portfolio starting in 2018. During his free time these days, Zach can be found relaxing by the beach in sunny South Florida, traveling the country seeing concerts with some other fellow Rectory alumni, or tossing weights around in his local CrossFit Box.

Sunghyun (Justin) Kim ’10 Justin is attending Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine.

Margaret Fogarty ’11 Margaret Fogarty, a senior at the University of Maine, Farmington, is finishing up one of the most diverse athletic careers in the history of the University. While anchoring the women’s softball team for the past four years, Margaret has also represented the Farmington Beavers on their ultimate frisbee team, has been a varsity cheerleader, and is

a leap of faith & A pursuit of passion zee krstic ’10 Zee recently graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida’s School of Journalism and Communication, an amazing opportunity where he accepted a full scholarship partly funded by an award from The New York Times scholarship fund. When he wasn’t in school or working two different jobs throughout the day, he spent his time in another role as a student coordinator for the Dean of Students Office where he worked on inclusive programming for the entire university—something that he really traces back to his days serving as a proctor in Lower North, where “the wonderful Mrs. Nagle and Ms. Robinson taught me well and often pushed me to think about the wellbeing of fellow students.”

Zee has always dreamed of working in media, and in publishing in particular, stemming from his love of writing, which he can remember is in such a large part due to Ms. Claudia Ricci when she taught his 8-1 English class—to this day, Zee regards her as one of his foremost mentors and as someone who had a good hand in putting him on the direction he ended up taking in high school, college, and in his career.

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After spending a good chunk of time as an editorial intern with Vox Media’s Eater through the American Society of Magazine Editors in his hometown of New York, Zee accepted an entry-level position with Time Inc. immediately after graduation.

In Zee’s own words, “I took a leap of faith and moved to Birmingham, AL, to work with some of the most forefront leaders in food media— which, as a born and raised New Yorker, I’d never thought I’d ever make such a move, but such is life, right?” He is currently on the digital editorial staff at Cooking Light but he spends his days producing content for all food brands under the Time Inc. umbrella, and while his contract with Cooking Light ends next May, he is currently freelancing and slowly making moves to return to New York permanently.

ALUMNI

send us your updates and upload your photos: rectoryschool.org/alumni

Hannah (Smith) Stewart ‘08 and her husband, Stephen Stewart; Frank West ‘08 with his fiancée, Danielle, and their dog, Gavin; Justin Kim ‘10 in dental school.

now a member of the college’s indoor track team, where she will compete this season in the shot put. When not focusing on athletics and her public health major, Margaret can be found working with and coaching children, running dorms at Farmington as the Assistant Director of Residential Associates and rooting for her two Rectory alumni siblings at St. Johnsbury Academy. She continues to credit Rectory for her love of athletics and the skills she acquired to get through the academic rigors of college.

Cheng “Victor” Lou ’14

Lenaijah Ferguson ’16

Victor says, “I was introduced to the sport of lacrosse by Mr. Long at Rectory. I then continued my career in high school and now with China Lacrosse.” He participated in four international lacrosse tournaments with the team and ran into other Rectory alumni such as Adolfo Castro ’12 from Mexico and Min Jae Yoo ’09 and Clint Yoo ’11 from Korea.

Lenaijah is a sophomore at The Gunnery School. She is involved with the Black Student Union, a group that discusses issues of race and diversity on campus and in society. Lenaijah hopes to get back to Rectory this year to see her favorite faculty.

Daisuke Tsuda ’14

Shota is in medical school in Japan and is thinking of becoming a pediatrician.

Daisuke is attending École Hôtelière de Lausanne, a hospitality college in Switzerland with a very hands-on education including bartending and breadmaking.

Zhezheng (Jason) Wang ’13

Patrick Fogarty ’15

Jason graduated from Cate School, where he was a determined and driven scholar, a generous and inviting friend, and a principled and empathetic citizen. During his time at Cate, he was a prefect in a freshman dormitory, where he was able to help younger students understand and respect their responsibility to the Cate community.

As noted in his Cate graduation bio, “If we were to sum Jason up, and articulate his many qualities, his capacity for love would surely be at the top of the list. And it is in the expression of that very thing that he has impacted this community so deeply.” Jason is currently attending Cornell University.

Patrick has had a very successful school year so far. He was “lucky enough to be elected senior class president, homecoming king, and captain of the x-country team.” He also made the Vermont All State Cross Country Team and competed in the New England Cross Country Championship. Patrick will run indoor track this winter, and is a dorm proctor and on dorm council. Patrick says, “Senior year has been full of excitement and hard work. I have recently received two acceptance letters from colleges. I’m excited to see where my future goes.”

Shota Tsuda ’11

Grayce Gibbs ’15 Grayce is finishing up her senior year at Choate Rosemary Hall. This past summer, she had a great time working in the Rectory Alumni Office.

Tiger Zhang ’16 Tiger’s favorite experience at Rectory was Summer@Rectory. He misses all of his friends and the faculty at Rectory. Tiger says,“Big shoutout to the GOAT Mr. Seaward and Mr. Healy for being great coaches and friends.” Currently Tiger plays for the golf and basketball teams at Taft and says “those experiences which were accumulated at Rectory helped me a lot. Mr. Long was a great teacher and his humorous teaching style in physics class influenced my passion for science.”

Skyler Coard ’17 Skyler made varsity cross country and varsity hockey at Trinity-Pawling School, where he is a sophomore this year. In his own words, “Shout out to the Rectory XC fam and hockey fam.”

Kathleen Fogarty ’17 Kathleen is off to strong start at St. Johnsbury Academy. As a sophomore, Kathleen was the starting volleyball setter and co-court captain for the Hilltoppers, earning All State Honorable Mention recognition while receiving the team’s Coaches’ Award for her strong performance throughout the season.

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breaking out of the box mae sharpless ’15 Mae is a senior at The Forman School, where she enjoys making art—a passion she found at Rectory—and is part of The Forman School Rainforest Team, which involves doing field research in the jungles of Costa Rica for two weeks. She is also on the bioacoustics team. Mae was kind enough to share her college essay with us as a reflection on the impact Rectory had on her life.

“I dreaded Mondays. Mondays were frog days. In first grade, students had frogs with their names on them and every time they learned five new sight words, their frogs would be allowed to hop to the next lily pad that contained five new words. My frog was always last. My teacher and mother would work with me every day, but my frog stayed put. This was my introduction to dyslexia. Dyslexia makes it very difficult to juggle and blend small sounds. This made school hard and reading almost impossible. It was also my introduction to how the world sees the last frog.

“When I first attended boarding school I was in the 1st percentile in reading, but over the next two years, my reading score rose to the 87th percentile and then to the 99th percentile.”

highlighted each word and converted text to speech. Whenever I came across a line in a book that was particularly poignant or deliciously descriptive, I would copy the words into a journal. I thought to myself every time I wrote down a new line that when I learned how to read, this would be the first thing I’d read. The little girl who couldn’t read treasured stories of hobbits, wizards, and magical creatures.

The summer after fifth grade, I attended the summer session of Rectory School where I met a teacher who wasn’t terrified by the fact that I was still working on letter sounds. Ms. Hart used the Orton-Gillingham method and slowly began to teach me how to read. We worked hard every day for four weeks that summer and I saw improvement. I had a lifeline and I wasn’t about to let it go. I had met at least one adult, besides my mother, who saw me as me. That feeling of finding a way forward sustained me as I returned to public school and back into the box that people put me in.

In seventh grade, I left home in September and returned to Rectory School. My friends couldn’t understand why I wanted to go to a new school so far away from home, but for me it was an easy choice. If I stayed, I would become what people thought of me... illiterate, stupid, incapable. Going to boarding school and resuming my work with Ms. Hart, was choosing who I knew I was. When I first attended boarding school I was in the first percentile in reading, but over the next two years, my reading score rose to the 87th percentile and then to the 99th percentile.

To understand the world, people use boxes. Their square corners and neat rows are appealing and comforting. Boxes can be deceptively permanent. I know that the box is simply a construct. I had to learn this at a young age to be able to makes sense of myself and free myself from the box that was never really there.”

At home I loved to read and create stories with the help of books on tape and my mother, who read to me and scribed my own stories.

I thought of myself as a writer, a lover of stories and descriptive language, but that’s not how the rest of the world saw me. At school I was the ‘slow kid’ who was skipped over when it came time to read aloud. Everyone knew I couldn’t read. My teachers looked at me with scared and worried faces. I knew that people thought I was stupid.

Was I? When you don’t fit into a box, it can be difficult for people to understand who you are. I was often only seen as the last frog.

Sometimes it was even difficult for me to understand my place in the world. I knew that I wasn’t stupid, but I struggled to spell even my first name. Ironically, my respite from school was to escape into the world of books. I was able to access books with the aid of a computer that

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Mae at Rectory with her tutor, Deanna Hart Rodman.

ALUMNI

send us your updates and upload your photos: rectoryschool.org/alumni

young alumni on the move Check out what our recent grads are up to!

Tiger Zhang ‘16 and Angela Han ‘17 at Taft School; Jin Tanaka ‘17 with Headmaster Williams in Japan this falll; Patrick Fogarty ‘15 as Homecoming King at St. Johnsbury Academy.

CENTER ROW: Kathleen Fogarty ‘17 playing volleyball at St. Johnsbury Academy; Victor Lou ‘14 with Min Jae Yoo ‘09 and Clint Yoo ‘11 at the Asia Pacific Lacrosse Championship in Jeju, Korea during summer 2017; Grayce Gibbs ‘15 worked in the Rectory Alumni & Development Office this summer.

BOTTOM ROW: Lenaijah Ferguson ‘16, sophomore at The Gunnery School; Shota Tsuda ‘11 and his mother, Atsuko, in Japan this fall.

TOP ROW:

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Angela Han ’17 Angela is a sophomore at Taft School. She had a great season of JV soccer and is on the math team. She is currently playing squash and misses being on the swim team at Rectory very much. She sends a shout-out to Ms. Bradley and Ms. Slocum “for being awesome!”

In memoriam: Paul Mosher ’35 May 8, 1921–March 5, 2017

Randolph Raynolds ’42 May 15, 1928–May 27, 2017

Robert (Bob) Greenman ’68 December 3, 1954–May 18, 2017

Jin Tanaka ’17 Jin is attending St. Mary’s International School and doing well. He is taking several computer programming courses.

Calling all Alumni! Please contact us if you would like to be included in The Rectory News or on social media. We’d love to hear from you!

Amy Lusa, Alumni Relations & Special Events Coordinator amy.lusa@rectoryschool.org | 860.963.6740 x370

CORRECTION: Two graduation awards were erroneously listed in the summer issue of The Rectory News. Following are the corrected award recipients: THE MR. & MRS. JOHN CHARACTER CUP WILLIAM ALEXANDER GREENE

For great progress in all areas of school life and for displaying the kindness, compassion, and spirit exemplified in “The Rectory Child.”

THE THOMAS B. HARRISON CUP THOMAS JAMES ROGALSKI

For outstanding sportsmanship and consideration of others, not only on the playing field, but in all areas of school life.

The Annual Fund for Rectory

Your Gift. Your Impact.

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT ATHLETICS FACULTY FINANCIAL AID STUDENT LIFE TECHNOLOGY

Give to The Annual Fund for Rectory and make a difference across campus.

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THE RECTORY NEWS | WINTER 2018

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND

saturday, April 28, 2018 1968

50th reunion

1993

25th reunion

2008

10th reunion

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS • Fun Run • Rectory Past & Present, led by faculty, trustees, & alumni • Reunion Class & Alumni Luncheon • Athletic games • Campus tour • Class photos • Student panel

• Cocktail Hour • Alumni Dinner & Awards Ceremony Emerging Leader Award Athletic Wall of Honor Distinguished Service Award • After Dinner Drinks at Brittain House

All Rectory alumni are invited back to campus, with special celebrations for the following reunion years: 1968 | 1993 | 2008

Alumni Reunion Weekend is fun for kids too! We invite you to bring your family to join in several kid-friendly activities that make the day memorable for the whole family. register today at

www.rectoryschool.org/reunion

Rectory school turns 100 in 2020 then & now: from dining hall to wolf den This past fall, Rectory School opened its new Student Center, delightfully named the Wolf Den, in the first floor of the “Dining Hall” building.

This building, previously known as the Refectory, was constructed in 1929. However, a May 1929 Rectory News article provides the insight that it actually was erected on an existing structure. “The old upper gymnasium of the school is being remodeled for a new dining hall, kitchen with dormitories on the upper floor.” Although originally anticipated to be a “remodel” job, a later article explains that “circumstances … involved erecting practically an entirely new building, rather than an alteration job as was first contemplated.” (The Rectory News, Feb 1930) Interestingly, construction of the building was an “educational project” within an education project. Rectory teamed up with the Connecticut State Trade School of Putnam (usually listed as Putnam Trade School) and “the boys who were learning the trades of masonry, carpentry, and electrical work began the most ambitious project ever attempted by them, under the direction of Mr. Harvard H. Ellis.” This school, now named Harvard H. Ellis Technical High School, remains in existence in Danielson, CT. Pride in the new space is evident in a 1929 Rectory News update, which also gives us a peek inside the building. The “Dining Hall … is an invaluable addition to our plant. On the first floor is the kitchen and a large dining room with a beautiful open fireplace.” The Refectory Building was dedicated by Bishop Acheson in March 1930. Students practiced hymns for the occasion and, along with the hymns, the Bishop offered a prayer on each floor. Here is the article’s concluding thought on the dedication. “This new building is a monument to Father and Mrs. Bigelow who have labored so hard and long, and at last have their dreams realized.”

Now it is the current Rectory students’ dreams that are realized with the recent Wolf Den “remodel” of the Refectory building.

(See Rectory’s New Wolf Den, p. 22)

1929

contribute to the rectory archive!

Help create our Centennial Celebration! Rectory is seeking yearbooks, issues of the The Rectory News, photographs, scrapbooks, and other memorabilia.

Get in touch if you have items to donate or are interested in helping with our Centennial Celebration. archives@rectoryschool.org

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Sasha B, Class of 2019 painted the image of the iconic Rectory Bell Tower for our holiday card this year. Congratulations Sasha it looks great! #rectoryschool #rectoryarts #rectorystudents #classof2019

Join the online conversation Our Elementary Students went to @Harvard last week—read all about their experience here!

VIA @RECTORYMARIA

We ran into Frank West ‘08 at a Council for Advancement and Support of Education conference in Washington D.C. last week!

Frank is Coordinator for Alumni Engagement at Radford University’s Office of Alumni Relations.

It was great to catch up with you, Frank!

We hope you enjoy your new Rectory swag! #RectoryAlumni

SEE ALL OUR FEEDS IN ONE SPOT! www.rectoryschool.org/social

RECTORY 9TH GRADERS VOLUNTEER AT LOCAL HEALTH CARE CENTER [Excerpted from The Westview News] ... Leaders from Westview and Rectory admire each other’s organizations; specifically their pursuit of excellence beyond the typical expectations of a health care facility or educational institution...

Rectory School P.O. Box 68 528 Pomfret Street Pomfret, Connecticut 06258

nonprofit us postage

paid permit #130 springfield, ma

“black & orange day is a Great day to see the kids and adults, young and old, interacting and having fun together! The school spirit and sportsmanship is off the charts! Activities are awesome!

Everyone is enthusiastic and energy is high level! All in all, just a wonderful day!” TEACHER AND COACH, BRAD SEAWARD

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