St. Luke’s School Established 1941
377 North Wilton Road - New Canaan, CT - 06840 www.digitalsentinel.org
October 2013 Respice — Adspice — Prospice
From the Oval Locker Ben Decatur President
Well, it’s only been a month but we have had quite an eventful year so far! The Seniors have claimed the College Counseling Office, the Juniors have realized how hard an academic year this will be (as well as the disadvantages of not being able to drive to school!), the underclassmen are just happy to be in high school, and the new students are now starting to cherish the welcoming spirit and sense of community that so characterizes the St. Luke’s experience. We have all survived the construction outside our front door; in fact, many of us played a part in it by signing “the beam” two weeks ago. Plus, we all endured the “Great Water Scare of 2013.” The spirit of the Class of 2014 is certainly contagious, and it has spread throughout the entire student body. In short, this year is shaping up to be a special one.
Building a Better Future, One Beam at a Time Monika Gabriele School News Correspondent For the past seven weeks of school, students and faculty have walked past constant drilling and cement pouring. Incredibly, the enormous project that St. Luke’s has launched has only just begun: construction will be going on for another seven months. When the ten months that construction is scheduled to take end, however, the student body will have access to the incredible addition, complete with four new science labs, prep rooms, office space, and a black box theater. According to Mrs. Gabriele, who is the co-chair of the building committe, the Administration hopes that this new wing will allow students to experience a transformed curriculum in their science studies. The project is on schedule and now that the steel is up, the next stage will be to enclose the structure. Once that is done, work inside the new wing will commence. An important step in this process will be to furnish the new rooms. Luckily, the School has put a tremendous amount of thought into how each room will be laid out - to the point that Mrs. Gabriele and Head of School Mr. Davis have been spotted trying out possible furniture options. Importantly, these furnishings will include Harkness tables in each classroom, in order to facilitate the seminar-style instruction so common in St. Luke’s humanities classes. In addition, there will be lab tables against the walls of the classrooms in order to ensure that students
will be able to put their newfound knowledge to work. In the hallways, there will be small meeting areas with chairs and tables where students can meet with teachers or do homework. These alcoves will be lined with whiteboard material so students can do practice problems and exercises.
The Country and Western dance in September was certainly a success, as Upper School students proved that they could do the “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and square dance. Moreover, the revived St. Luke’s tradition of the Founders’ Cup has taken off, as students showed off their intellect in the second event: The Founders’ Cup Challenge, a Jeopardy-like contest in front of the entire Upper School. Now we transition into perhaps my favorite time of year on the Hilltop: Spirit Week and Homecoming. Spirit Week is a time when sometimes you have to put your inhibitions aside (while staying in dress code, of course!)
“When we were looking at the spatial design,” said Mrs. Gabriele, “we really wanted the hallways to function as more than just hallways. We wanted it to be a space where students could gather and collaborate.” The classrooms themselves will be primarily for Upper School students, but the addition is sure to become a common area for all students, even more so because of the black box theater being built below. The theater, which will be accessible via a small hallway near the WSLX studio, will seat one-hundred and fifty people and will eventually be outfitted with a tech space similar to that found in the Seldin Performing Arts Center. “It’s going to provide great flexible space for theater groups and after school activities to rehearse,” Mrs. Gabriele told the Sentinel.
see page 3, “New Addition”
and just go all out. On Tuesday, students will be dressed from head-to-toe in neon. On Wednesday, the safari theme will certainly prove to be interesting, as students could come in as anything from a zookeeper to various jungle cats. Thursday, Career Day, is a chance for students to foresee their futures, dressing as firemen, doctors, or judges—just to name a few roles. And of course Friday is Storm Day, a chance to show off the new Homecoming see page 2, “Oval Locker”
Student Constitution
Soccer Season
In addition to the science wing, a new entrance is also being built. The new walkway will feature a vestibule with a small reception area, as well as a glassed-in walkway.
Inside this issue...
Homecoming Previews