on the Hill
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From left to right David Appleby ’05, Meredith Rarus ’07, Matt Shifrin ’05, Susan Korte ’02, Ted Fuller ’05, Sari Biddelman ’02, Kellyn McGarity ’02, Paige Diamond ’01, Anna Childs ’07, Steve Marangos ’07, Russ Hearn ’01, Eric Litmer ’06, Alison Leonard ’06, Katie Hoffmaster ’03, Laura Monty ’08, Mike DiPietro ’07, Brie Beaudette ’07, Matt Wiggin ’06, Michael Tisch ’02, Manny Simons ’00, Kip Moncrief ’02, Alexandra Garrison ’03, Peter Snedeker ’02
alumni council of advisors Suffield’s Alumni Council of Advisors was created in 2011 at the suggestion of Michael Tisch ’02 as an avenue for younger alumni to be active at the school. Michael and fellow alums Peter Snedeker ’02 and Colin Riendeau ’01 wrote a proposal to create the council, which was accepted by the Board of Trustees. For the past four years, a group of dedicated alumni volunteers have returned to campus for fall and spring weekends. They focus on various initiatives and give suggestions to school leaders about Suffield’s direction and future. Session discussions revolve around items including marketing and communication, development, curriculum, and campus master planning. In addition, two council members are invited to shadow the fall and spring meetings of the Board of Trustees. Director of Development Phil Riegel ’87 commented, “It has been a tremendous experience for me to watch these young alumni, who care so deeply about our school, come back in this role. Their input has helped shape some major decisions, and we are fortunate to have such dedication and investment from this young group of professionals.”
robotics The ‘Suffield Academy Robotics Fair’ was organized by Min (Chris) Choi ’16 and held in April. Elementary and middle school students were invited to attend and learn about robotics and engineering. Participants used LEGO MINDSTORMS kits (purchased with funds donated by the Lombardo family P’12, ’14) to build and program robots capable of completing several challenges. These ranged from simple instructions (driving a certain distance or turning a certain amount) to more intricate programs that involved reading values from sensors and taking appropriate action. Students from Suffield Academy’s Introduction to Computer Science (Honors) course worked with LEGO MINDSTORMS as part of their regular course work. Several of them volunteered time to help participants build and program their robots, including Chris Ennis ’17, Megan Varney ’17, Jason Louro ’17, and Edwin Wallis ’16. Opatrny Chair of Technology Jason Healy oversaw the event.
Summer / Commencement 2015
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