Alumni Reunion

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Alumni Reunion 201 9

1. Alumni arriving for the day! 2. Class of 1990’s 3. Class of 1970’s 4. Class of 1960’s 5. Matt White ‘93 catches up with Director of Advancement Tina Couch ‘94 P’28 6. Class of 2010’s 7. Class of 1980’s 8. Class of 2000’s 9. Matthew Hoeniger ‘81 and Peter Lyon ‘18 10. Director of Technology Steve Dodge up at bat with former Headmaster Lou Magnoli umping the annual softball game. 11. Kaycee Dodge, Matthew Desiderio ‘28, Anna Giese ‘27, Olivia Desiderio 12. Matt White ‘93 returns to campus for a special musical performance 13. Lauren Henry, Carter Mosch ‘97, Michael Devino ‘94 and Alexa Geovanos, Kathryn Eren, John Eren ‘97

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CRAIG OUGH P’23 Community Service Leader

I started at Rumsey Hall teaching math for the summer program in 2011 and was officially asked to join the permanent faculty the following summer. Since then, I’ve become Director of Outdoor Education, Director of Community Service/Service Learning, and also teach the Challenge 20/20 elective, in which students develop team-building skills and discuss our most pivotal roles as global citizens.

Additionally, I help out as a coach for Boys Varsity B Hockey and have established Blue Dog Bikes, our biking program which is slowly growing into the Rumsey Hall Mountain Biking Team. Much of my spare time is spent rebuilding bikes for kids, camping, and trying to keep up with my son, Gunnar (11) who wants to try every sport and learn magic tricks. Gunnar and I currently live in South Dorm, where I am a dorm parent.

What were some of the very first Cummunity Service events you organized for RHS students? And do you have recipients and businesses that the students interact with on a regular basis?

The initiatives that are most unique to my time as steward of the program would be our connection with Sanctuary Kitchen and the Rumsey Hall Card Project. Sanctuary Kitchen was the first effort to deliberately connect community service events to our annual school theme, which at the time was “Stand Up Together.” Sanctuary Kitchen employs refugee chefs who host meals that inspire conversation and inclusion. The Rumsey Hall Card Project was a student idea that’s become our most attended event with almost 600 cards now sent to permanently hospitalized children. The program has grown so much we now have an appointed student position for coordinating community service events such as these.

What are the biggest challenges you have faced since starting this program at Rumsey?

Finding meaningful initiatives is an ongoing process. We are limited to a distance radius, working on weekends, and also have to honor the needs of the different agencies we work with. The other challenge is fending off the demands for us to be a solely fundraising resource. While supporting agencies monetarily is important for their overall success, one of the core philosophies of Rumsey’s Community Service Program is to inspire students to be the boots on the ground and educate them about the physical work that needs to be done.

What advice would you give to students thinking about getting involved in Community Service?

My advice would be to not hesitate. Just get involved. You’ll learn a lot about yourself.

What are your goals for the School in terms of Outreach?

The role I play is as an ambassador to the school. I have to expect the best of my volunteers as they represent themselves and their communities. I need each team to be amply prepared for the work expected of them. Simultaneously, I have a chance to speak with the agencies about our community service programming and our school overall. The agencies we’ve established relationships with speak highly of our teams and are willing to act as references should they be needed when we are able to add in new initiatives.

Tell us about an event or an experience along the way that was especially rewarding for you.

I sent a group off to Church Street Eats, a soup kitchen in Hartford that we have a long relationship with. I generally save this work for our older students, as the labor and emotional demands are high. There was a IVth Form boy really begging to go. I hesitated, but decided to give him a try. The students prepare meals, then go into the dining area to serve sandwiches and soups to people either living in extreme poverty or who are homeless. Part of the briefing for the experience is to not expect gratitude, but to give it instead. Thank them for attending. Thank them for being there. Just say ‘Hello’ and ‘Please enjoy the meal.’ I leave it to them to decide how conversational they wish to be as they are still just developing social skills in their own lives. I didn’t hear anything unique about that specific trip until a few days later. The director of the soup kitchen called with extensive praise for the IVth Form student for being so kind to so many people. He took my advice to another level, asking questions of the attendees and saying kind words. The director said he had one table in tears just because he took the time to sit with them and ask about them, not speak of himself. It’s in one of these moments that you experience selfdiscovery through serving others.

Some recent Community Service trips: Top photo Annual faculty orientation service trip to build garden boxes for Judea’s Garden and Steep Rock Association. Middle Students from the developmental hockey team helped sort food for local shelters at the CT Food Bank. Bottom International Coastal Clean Up is an annual global initiative to remove small debris from beaches.

RUMSEY QUESTIONNAIRE

What are the first words that come to mind when you think of Rumsey Hall? Grass stains on khakis, pond hockey, Bromley, and trails. What do you treasure most about Rumsey? I appreciate the fact that the School encourages kids to try everything. A student can try football having never played before, learn to ride a bike, and go on trips to so many unique destinations. I also like the undercurrent philosophy of my colleagues that it is completely okay to make mistakes, dust off and try again. If you were to be given a superlative here at Rumsey, what would you be awarded? Optimistic. I’m probably the “most likely to find the silver lining in bad news”.

Rick Spooner 1947 – 2019

After a three year battle with pancreatic cancer, Rick Spooner passed away peacefully at his home in Thomaston with his family at his side on June 8, 2019. Rick was the longest standing faculty member in the School’s history working in many capacities during those 47 years and ending his Rumsey career as Associate Headmaster. He was a teacher, mentor, coach, and friend to both students and adults. Rick was an honest, genuine and compassionate man who thought of others and dedicated his life to helping adolescents navigate middle school years and beyond.

For information on a Tribute Fund set up in Rick’s honor, please visit our Giving tab at rumseyhall/giving/giftsofrecognition

“If you pile up all of Rick’s thoughtful gestures and comments, all of the noble deeds and decisions he offered daily, they form a tall mountain of goodwill. And as word of Rick’s death spreads, and his former students, colleagues and friends share memories, the mountain will grow taller and taller. His life of exceptional, lasting value will echo again and again off that mountain.”

– Tom Farmen, from his eulogy at Rick’s memorial service

“One of my favorite memories of being with Rick was a beautiful moonlit evening in Cape Cod off of Race Point. We fished off the shore for blues and stripers. Rick stood to my right and a gentleman by the name of John Jane stood to my left. It was a special night I’ll never forget.

Rick was one of the most honest, sincere, and compassionate men I have ever met. He taught me so much and I will cherish the values that he helped to incorporate into my life forever. ” – Matthew Hoeniger ‘81, Headmaster

“He was a kind, gentle, thoughtful soul whose concern and love for family, friends, colleagues and students was genuine. He was a gift to us all and we are enriched and better for having known and loved him.

Farewell Dad, may you encounter calm seas and warm breezes on your journey. I love you. You were and will always be my hero.” – Jason Spooner

“Rick Spooner had a profound impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without decades of his wisdom, support, and most importantly, his love. I am so grateful that moving back to CT last year afforded me the ability to be a small part of Rick’s journey this past year. Every day I come to work here at Rumsey and walk through this beautiful campus, I am reminded that Rick is with me and will always be smiling down on me. I miss you and love you dear friend.” – Tina Couch ‘94, Director of Advancement

At this time of reflection and sadness after the recent passing of our wonderful and loving father, we would like to express our deepest appreciation, gratitude and love to the members of our second family; the members of the extended Rumsey Community. The outpouring of support, concern, sympathy and compassion recently shown to our family was nothing short of inspiring and uplifting and provided all of us with much needed light at a time when it was needed most. The calls, emails, texts, posts, stories, memories and expressions of shared loss did not go unnoticed and we cannot thank you all enough. Hearing from you and seeing so many of your familiar faces at Dad’s service in June in Litchfield reminded us of the vast number of lives in which our father had played a formative and overwhelmingly positive role.

Whether you knew him as a teacher, coach, counselor, mentor, administrator, colleague, friend or “sensei”, you were all positively buoyed by his warm, caring nature and his keen ability to see the best in all of us and to help us to develop the tools to reach our inherent potential. He was a consummate educator and a “gentle giant” in the purest sense of the expression. He always provided encouragement and inspiration when we needed it most, a sly joke and a wink when we needed a laugh, a strong shoulder when we needed support and an open ear when we needed to be heard. With that said, he had a demonstrated, signature ability to help us yield growth from challenging times, never letting us forget that we were ultimately in control of our own trajectories and destinies as students, as teachers and as people in general. He led by example and always encouraged us to do the work honestly, free of shortcuts or excuses. He held us to higher standards and helped us to emerge as better people.

Family was always his top priority and his dedication to the Rumsey family was, ultimately, his life’s work. The school meant the world to him and he personified the long-lasting values that Rumsey instilled in each and every one of us. The spirit of Rumsey Hall was in his heart and his soul and, in many ways, he was a crucial and foundational part of the soul of Rumsey.