Sentinel may 2010

The Sentinel St. Luke’s School

377 North Wilton Road - New Canaan, CT - 06840

Tribute 2010

From the Oval Locker Sam Sexton Student Council President

were the Maroon and Gray’s. In the ‘60’s we called ourselves either The Saints or The Hilltoppers, and since the ‘70’s, we’ve been the Crusaders. We acquired the Crusader name through a contest held among the 150 or so students enrolled in 1970.”

Now a similar contest is being held.

Hopefully the St. Luke’s community will be able to see this mascot change as an opportunity rather than an attack on tradition. Besides, as has been proven over the last couple years with no mascot, the identity of St. Luke’s School comes from the people who are a part of it, not someone in a silly costume who dances around at sports games.

Wow. These last nine months have flown by and I am complete disbelief that the school year is over already. I am in shock that Senior year has come and gone as quickly as it did. And because of that I have stepped back and thought a lot about my time here at St. Luke’s. These past eight years at SLS have impacted my life tremendously. The things that I have learned, the challenges that I have faced and the lifelong friendships that I have made have shaped me into the person that I am today. Whether you know it or not, you all have been a huge influence on every decision that I have made all year. Is that in the best interest of everyone?

What will be the most fun for every grade? These were questions that I was constantly asking myself all year. I wanted to make sure that this was the best year ever for everyone. I had extremely high expectations for myself at the beginning of the year and I soon learned that the higher your expectations, the harder it is to reach them. I learned that trying to be a good president is not an easy job. I do not know if I reached your expectations or even my own, but I did try.

Overall I do believe that together we had a VERY successful year. You all have accomplished so many amazing things and should be very proud of yourselves. You have contributed to so many different athletic teams, drama productions, clubs and other activities, leaving your mark on the school.

Just to name a few- Ali Jaffe and Jon Salamon have transformed the Sentinel into a true work of genius, Kevin Quindlen and Joe Appuzzo have taken something that they were passionate about and brought the BuildOn program to the St. Luke’s community, Doug Walker, Kevin Young and Tom Delano brought school spirit to a new level leading the Sixth Man, Conor Swanberg, Andrew Veidenheimer, Marwan Sameer and Sam Fomon who have organized and performed in so many entertaining Coffee Houses this year... and so many more. I am so impressed by all the amazing things that you all have accomplished this year and I just want to recognize all of the hard work that you all put into everything that you do. Congratulations!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Student Government for all of the hard work that they put in this year. There is a lot of behind the scenes action that goes on in Student Government and I can assure you that every Class Representative and Cabinet member played a huge role in the success of every event that we sponsored.

So, to the Class of 2010, GOOD LUCK! I will miss you and wish you all the best in your future endeavors! Enjoy these last few days, Graduation is just around the corner! And to everyone else, keep working hard! Try to enjoy these next few years because before you know it they will be gone.

Thank you for everything and have a great summer!

Sen10rs, Remember When...

Higher Honors

Mr. Henson (left) captivates St. Luke’s students in his presentation about the mascot change.

Who Will We Be?

Alexandra Jaffe Editor in Chief

This coming school year brings many changes to St. Luke’s. A stricter, more defined dress code, improved cafeteria food, but most of all, a new mascot. A mascot, in a way, defines a school. It gives students and alumni an identity, an image to rally around, a name to chant at sporting events. The mascot of a school often reflects values held by the community and represents deep-set tradition. Sometimes, however, the mascot fails to adequately represent the values of the school. In those situations, a change must be made.

This year, St. Luke’s students are given the unique opportunity to choose a new mascot for the school. After preliminary voting, the three choices are The St. Luke’s Pride, The St. Luke’s Storm, and The St. Luke’s Hawks. An email has been sent out to current students and alumni alike, asking for participation in the voting process. This way, more people in the St. Luke’s community are given a voice and the new mascot will better represent St. Luke’s.

Although a mascot change has been in the talks for years now, this year it finally became a reality. According to a statement on the school website, “an Identity Task Force (ITF) comprised of faculty and staff, trustees, parents, and alumni convened for six months to study all the various assets of the St. Luke’s School’s identity - School name, motto, athletic logo, and mascot.” The cochairs of the Identity Task Force were Mr. Henson and Mr. LeBris.

The mascot change is predictably being met with some resistance by some students and alumni. A Facebook group called “Save the St.

Luke’s School Crusaders” has gained rapid popularity from current students and alumni. As of print time, in its one day of existence, the group has 190 members. People opposing the change are afraid of losing the tradition and heritage of the Crusaders.

However, in their studies, the ITF discovered that the Crusader was not always the mascot of St. Luke’s school. In the online statement they explained, “From 1928 until the ‘50’s, we

Inside this issue...

Tributes

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Señora Alvarez

Kelly Wendt Arts Editor

For anyone who has been fortunate enough to take Spanish and have Mrs. Alvarez as a teacher, you will know that she has one of the biggest hearts as anyone on the faculty.

She will be leaving St. Luke’s to return to Buenos Aires with her family, although she hopes to come back for visits.

Like so many of her colleagues, Mrs. Alvarez takes a great delight in simply sharing her knowledge with all her curious students. Her door has always been open- she’s ready to chat in English or Spanish- with any and all of her students.

She has taught Spanish for four years while at St. Luke’s. Upon returning to Buenos Aires, her native city, she will continue using her language skills working as translator. ¡Te deseo lo mejor!

Mr. James The Sentinel

Mr. James joined Mr. Moss in the library in 2008 as a Library Associate, where he assists Mr. Moss in his library activities, as well as entertaining students through lively conversation. Mr. James is the brother of former and equally well-liked English teacher, Mr.

Ross James.

Mr. James designs his own card and board games, which he has introduced to St. Luke’s students. We all wish him luck in the future and hope that his game designs have success.

Mr. McClure Spencer Jaffe

For years, Mr. McClure has taught at St. Luke’s with an unmatched enthusiasm and knowledge for his subjects. From World History II to AP European History, BMac, as he is called by his peers, inspires a craving for learning in all of his students.

His sense of humor brings liveliness to the classroom, with constant references to Jersey Shore or The Office. Cries of “that’s one shot, kid!” and “I declare…bankruptcy!” echo around the classroom, drawing laughter

Tribute 2010

TRIBUTE

from his students. His different accents and impersonations of different historical leaders brings them to life in front of his students, who gain a better understanding of their topic in this comical way. His sense of humor makes his subjects fun and enjoyable, and many sophomores who take World History II decide to take AP European History in their senior year because of the joy they receive from Mr. McClure. But humor is not Mr. McClure’s only talent. His knowledge of the subjects he teaches shows through in the detail that he explains in class. When the textbook fails to clarify a subject, Mr. McClure is always there to give the correct explanation. His travels have also been incredibly helpful in class, as he uses pictures that he took from places from around the world to show the class specific examples of a subject. He used pictures from Verdun, France to show his World History students a firsthand view of the living conditions of the soldiers in the trenches in World War I. Of course, the pictures he keeps on slideshow as his computer background are also a cause for laughter in the classroom.

But Mr. McClure does not only operate in the classroom. He has led successful debate teams to state championships, while training new debaters to become “master-debaters”.

On top of this, he leads the yearbook staff each year in the struggle for a fantastic yearbook, which every year he is able to produce. His sharp eye for detail and creative mind allow him to create new themes each year with interesting twists. Clearly, Mr. McClure was very well deserving of this year’s yearbook dedication, as his influence has inspired many to work with a good spirit and strive for excellence. All who knew him will miss his humor and target for perfection.

Thank you, Mr. McClure, for all that you have given us at St. Luke’s! We wish you the best of luck at Tilton School next year!

Mr. Moss

The Sentinel

Mr. Moss first joined the St. Luke’s community in 2003, and since then has become a much-loved member.

As the Head Librarian, he has made his lair in the library, where he is frequently seen speaking to faculty and students alike.

Students find Mr. Moss approachable, and are able to discuss anything with him; from political discussions, to literature, Mr. Moss always opens his doors to those with thoughtful minds.

Mr. Moss has always been known as a technological connoisseur and a master of media management. In the past, Mr. Moss has taught the 10th grade course “Digital Media and Society,” which allows students to explore their creative side, examining important aspects of society through the implementation of advanced technologies. This was often a favorite course among 10th graders, not only because the course allowed students to acquire vital skills, but because Mr. Moss was

The Sentinel Staff Editor in Chief Alexandra Jaffe Co-Editor Jon Salamon Arts Editor Kelly Wendt Staff Writers Theodor Trampe Contributing Writers Sam Sexton Sports Writers Kevin Young Faculty Advisor Mr. Flachsbart

the teacher, and simply, is a great guy.

We are all sad to see Mr. Moss leave, but we know that he will be a great attribute anywhere he goes. He has made a mark on the school and on everyone else who has encountered him, whether it be in the library, in the hallway, or in class.

Ms. Rodriquez

The Sentinel

Ms. Rodriquez joined St. Luke’s School in the fall of 2009 as a 10th grade chemistry teacher, replacing the beloved Dr. Bierly. In the past, she taught 5th grade science, coached crew and ice hockey, and created and taught a sociology elective.

As a young and vital spirit, Ms. Rodriquez made a special impact on the St. Luke’s science department and community. On behalf of St. Luke’s, we wish her luck in the future.

Tribute 2010

Mr. Tisch The Sentinel

Mr. Tisch joined the St. Luke’s School science department in the fall of 2009 as a physics teacher and teaching fellow. A recent graduate of Colby College, where he majored in physics, Mr. Tisch brought his fresh knowledge to the classroom and created an engaging, intellectual environment. Interactive activities were mixed with traditional yet interesting lectures, which easily showed Mr. Tisch’s high standard of teaching excellence.

Mr. Tisch easily fit in with the rest of the science department crew, and was always good-spirited in exchanging jokes with Mr. LeBris and Mr. Mitchell. Bringing this same light-hearted spirit to class, Mr. Tisch was always well liked by his students and always remained approachable if a student had a question or wanted extra help. One of the many memorable moments of Mr. Tisch’s class was watching YouTube videos – some educational, others just for fun.

In addition to being a great teacher, Mr. Tisch was an inspiring basketball, baseball, and football coach.

He will be missed next year, and we all wish him luck in his future teaching endeavors.

Mrs. Zwicker Kelly Wendt

For the past 18 years, the unmistakable laughter of Mrs. Zwicker has echoed throughout the halls of St. Luke’s School, and next year she will be dearly missed. She has had a long stint here as an English teacher for all grades.

She has taught regular freshmen English and a multitude of enjoyable senior electives.

On a personal note, I have had Mrs. Zwicker as a teacher in both my freshman year and as a second semester senior. She not only introduced me to the wonderful worlds of Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye and Mick in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, she has guided me through the dark, complex world of Roman Noir. Being in her classroom has been more than just an enjoyable and rewarding experience. She has been a very understanding, caring, and kind teacher whose extensive knowledge of grammar has been instilled upon her dozens of students. Her delight of reading has been shared and even taught to those who are not always captivated by the finger-curling descriptions offered by Erich Maria Remarque and Shakespeare. What’s more is that Mrs. Zwicker has kept very close

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relationships with her students, both old and new, and is by no means looking to move away from her students here.

Next year, Mrs. Zwicker will be working at the Carver Center, a place near and dear to the St. Luke’s community. She received a grant to help tutor kids for the SATs, ACTs, and in writing. Although it has been, in her words, a fabulous 18 years, she is also looking forward to the next chapter of her life, and we all wish her the best.

ESS Guys Theodor Trampe

Mr. Wall and Mr. Sorrentino of ESS fame will be leaving for greener pastures next year. Mr. Wall has been at St. Luke’s since 2006 and Mr. Sorrentino has been at St. Luke’s since 2007. Mr. Wall and Mr. Sorrentino have both enjoyed their time at St. Luke’s, especially their time working with students in the ESS. Mr. Wall has been glad that he has had the chance to see this year’s senior class graduate since he has known them since they were freshmen.

With his departure, Mr. Wall will be taking an extended break traveling through Europe. Mr. Sorrentino will be moving on to work at the Kildonan Boarding School in New York State. Both Mr. Wall and Mr. Sorrentino will be missed.

Mr. Mendenhall The Sentinel

Mr. Mendenhall joined St. Luke’s School in the fall of 2009. He has taught for over 30 years at high schools and colleges across the country. Mr. Mendenhall taught AP Biology and 9th grade Biology, as well as a biology elective.

“We will miss you, Mr. Mendenhall,” says AP Biology student Joanna Bornstein.

“I enjoyed his class so much, and learned so incredibly much from him.” He is a both a great teacher and a great friend to all.

We want to thank Mr. Mendenhall for enriching us with his knowledge and experience.

Thank You We wish all of the teachers that are leaving good-luck, and would like to thank them for all of their hard work this year and in the past.

Also, on behalf of the Class of 2010, we wish those teachers that are remaining at St. Luke’s good luck as well.

We know all of the teachers that pass through St. Luke’s will make an impact on all of our lives.

--The Sentinel

Sen10rs: Remember When...?

Nerds on spirit week...

Guidos took over the school Kofi led the boys’ varsity soccer to an epic season We beat Brunswick at home for basketball The Crusader was the mascot?...Oh wait Six flags was cancelled We won the senior faculty basketball game Silly bandz/animal bracelets became cool Captain crunch and lucky charms came to the cafeteria Everyone was always “chafed” The Sentinel became a REAL newspaper The prom bus had no A/C Senior skip day at the beach Mr. Smitobol was a college counselor When you weren’t into college?

The college counseling office didn’t exist and we were displaced The senior prank!!!!...oh wait The hypnotist made Martin dance to “Right Round” Cole as the M.C. in Cabaret Anna’s costume in Cabaret Dylan and Brenda WEREN’T dating...

Alex and Anna weren’t dating..

You cared about doing homework Mr. Tower was a 5th grade teacher Mr. Davis was the “new” headmaster Everyone cried when Mr. Lebris left Then Mr. Lebris came back!

The athletic center didn’t exist We couldn’t drive to school Take Note was Take 9 Acafellas didn’t exist Everyone wanted a teacup pig We thought senior year would be easy We thought that being a second semester senior would be fun Cantrick and Bierly were teachers Mr. Thieret terrorized his students Sparknotes was a lifesaver You didn’t have a Facebook iPhones were NEW! Model U.N. was a real club Everyone wanted to be Ke$ha People couldn’t stop quoting ‘The Hangover” We had to use Tunnels to use Facebook in school They switched the cookies in the cafeteria Peanut butter cookies? Thanks Ali Jaffe...

Sen10rs won Dodge Ball!

Zach Lupica was a grade below us Zach Taylor was still at St. Luke’s The schedule changed every year We had bells We had pizza every Friday We took books out of the library?...Oh wait...

We had gym class Graduation seemed so far away!

Congrats Class of 2010!

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HILLTOP NEWS

NHS On the Way Out Theodor Trampe Staff Writer

Next year will be the last year St. Luke’s will be hosting a chapter of the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society is an organization found in many high schools across the nation. The organization only selects a few students every year. Selection for the organization is based on the four following traits: scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

At St. Luke’s the application process is handled by Ms. Parker-Burgard. Over the years that National Honor Society has been at St. Luke’s, Ms. Parker-Burgard along with members of the faculty have made all the decisions over who gets into this selective club and who gets rejected. Since its inception, the selection process has come under criticism for its highly subjective nature. This criticism is understood by the faculty

that each chapter of the club holds. All of these problems associated with the organization have forced St. Luke’s to look for a better alternative to National Honor Society.

The school has decided to abandon the National Honor Society in favor of simply awarding traditional Latin honors. Starting next year, St.

Members of the National Honors Society getting inducted.

advisors who find it hard to decide one kid is better then another during the selection process. The subjective requirements for National Honor Society have also lowered the standing of the organization in the eyes of many colleges. Colleges cannot give National Honor Society much merit because they do not know the requirements or standards

Making the Cut Theodor Trampe Staff Writer

A few years ago, the school administration formed a task force to examine the system for evaluating academic achievement and to develop a school philosophy that could properly define the value of grades. Most recently, this committee has come forth with a report with plans that will change the grading system at the school significantly.

The Honor roll requirements will change

significantly next year. The titles “first honors” and “second honors” are being removed completely.

Instead, St. Luke’s will award “high honors” and “honors. The GPA requirements for these awards will also change. “High honors” will require a 93 GPA with no grade below a B. “Honors” will require a 88 GPA with no grade below a B-. The honor roll has also changed in that the award will only be

Luke’s will begin to award the honor cum laude.

This honor will be awarded based on GPA to the top 10% of juniors and the top 20% of seniors. Although academics are the main focus, some subjective standards will also be taken into account when choosing the award recipients. Although St. Luke’s does not officially rank students, an exception will be made solely to determine the recipients of this distinction. These awards will work differently from National Honor Society. Students who receive the award are simply being given a distinction and will not be required to join a specific organization.

The School is looking forward to implementing this new honor because they feel it has a higher level of prestige then National Honor Society. Ms. Parker-Burgard had this to say about the new award: “Cum laude represents an opportunity for us to focus this honor on academic achievement and offer our students a distinction that has some meaning”.

National Honor Society will remain in place next year; however, there will be no new inductees from next year’s Junior Class. The Latin honor, cum laude, will take over as the main standard for chronically academic achievement at St. Luke’s School. given for students in 8th grade or higher. However, 7th graders will be grandfathered in because they received awards in 6th grade under the old system.

The task force also came to make a few changes to the calculation of GPA’s in both the Middle School and the Upper School. In the Middle School, only core academic classes will be used to calculate GPA. In the Upper School, the initial elective class for students will not be calculated into the GPA. However, more advanced electives and their grades will be used in GPA calculations.

This change will be made to better aid students who take electives only to fill their elective requirement. These students will not be damaged for not performing well in classes in which they have no interest.

The task force also brought forward the issue of the value of grades across different departments. The committee discovered that over 90% of students in the arts and music departments received grades in the A range. In the future, the school will be amplifying the importance of assigning grades in line with the grading descriptions in the school handbook. The task force concluded that grades were being treated as a tool for maximizing GPA and honor roll status. The school will be making efforts to change this. The schools new approach to grading is represented in a statement given by Mr. Bailey about the role of the honor roll: “We strongly believe that achieving honor roll status should be the result of learning, not the goal of learning.”

Tribute 2010

Editor’s Note Alexandra Jaffe Editor in Chief

This year, it seemed like the stars lined up so that The Sentinel could finally have a chance at being a real newspaper. I came back from a journalism summer program, ready to make some serious changes to the newspaper, but I didn’t have the tech-savvy background to make these ideas into reality. Enter Jon Salamon. Jon is more than tech-savvy enough for the both of us. In fact, Jon is probably the most technologically gifted person I know. Whenever I had an idea about changing the format of the newspaper or redoing a design, Jon could make my words into reality. I have no doubt that even with my big dreams, without Jon and his practical application of programming The Sentinel wouldn’t even be close to what it is now.

But even with Jon’s and my enthusiasm at our ideas, for real change to happen we needed the support of our faculty advisor. For many teachers, being the faculty advisor of the student newspaper is very far down on their list of priorities. To be contacted two weeks before school even started about putting out an issue with the start of school and about funds needed immediately would seem like an unnecessary hassle to some. But, as I said before, the was an alignment of the stars that Jon and I have been privileged to work with Mr. Flachsbart on The Sentinel. Mr. Flachsbart was never anything but enthusiastic and supportive of the new ideas. He allowed us to take the reins, giving us creative freedom to develop the new and improved Sentinel. It is rare to find a teacher who would give students that much power and freedom, while the liability of a mistake still rode on his shoulders. Jon and I really appreciate Mr. Flachsbart for his support, his valuable input, and of course his sense of humor, which kept our meetings fun and full of laughter.

I think we all know that in this day and age that real change cannot happen without adequate funding. This is a big thank you to the administration and especially to Mrs. Gabriele for believing in The Sentinel and providing us with more than enough funding so we could print on actual newsprint like a real newspaper instead of printing on our own school printers. The move to newsprint was by far the most significant change this year, and it would not have been possible without the support of the administration and Mrs. Gabriele.

On The Sentinel we had a passionate and enthusiastic team who cared about bettering an aspect of St. Luke’s School, as little and insignificant as that aspect was. Thank you to all the writers and photographers who have contributed this year to The Sentinel. And thank you to the St. Luke’s community who read The Sentinel month after month. I have been part of something great this year and I have faith that next year positive changes to The Sentinel will continue. Keep reading, St. Luke’s.