Head of School Newsletter Volume 3; Summer 2019

Anything is Possible

a newsletter from the head of school

1 Elm Street Byfield Massachusetts 01922

E

GOVER N

’S OR

TH

“...GOVERNOR DUMMER WOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT WE’VE BECOME AND OF OUR RESTLESS NEED TO BUILD THE ACADEMY’S BRIGHT FUTURE.” Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14

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A C n Sibi Sed A Y ADE M

A Note from the Head of School much of our local landscape has changed since william dummer’s grandfather chose this auspicious location to establish his family’s farm in 1635, though when I walk through campus, I’m struck by how much seems to have remained the same: the Milestone, Mansion House, and iconic views of the Parker River and Great Marsh. And yet, the Parker River and Great Marsh also tell a story of change, a story that provides numerous learning opportunities for our students. The impact of fluctuating water temperatures on various species in the river, the effect of noise pollution on the delicate ecosystem, or the effect of rising water levels on the surrounding area are just a few examples.

As we consider ways to capitalize on our proximity to the river, construction of the state-of-the-art Parker River Environmental Studies Center will be a true game changer. It promises not only to meet the needs of our expanding science curriculum, but also to drive our commitment to sustainability forward in ways we have yet to discover. Our unique location invites students to take a more hands-on approach to learn about the local environment, sometimes by wading knee-deep into the marsh or launching a kayak into the river.

Earlier this summer, the With True Courage campaign reached the $50 million milestone. This incredible achievement means that we are able to

build the places, support the people, and develop the programs that help rank Govs among the top boarding schools in our country. The results of your support are already evident around campus: new faculty housing, restored historic buildings, and a new track. We have raised more than half of the funds needed to break ground on a newly imagined and greatly expanded Peter Marshall French Student Center, which promises to foster social development and expand extracurricular programs for our students.

Our buildings must change over time to keep pace with our expanding curriculum and student needs. When I see architectural plans spread out before me or proposals for new academic courses, I believe that I have a glimpse into our courageous future—one filled with creative possibilities.

And yet, I can no sooner predict what our students will be doing many decades from now than William Dummer could when he imagined this great school. But there are two things of which I am certain: Governor Dummer would be proud of what we’ve become and of our restless need to build the Academy’s bright future, and by working together through this campaign, we will take our school further than we could ever have imagined possible.

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14

Anything is Possible

1 Elm Street Byfield, Massachusetts 01922

with true

PRESORTED NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

a newsletter from the head of school volume 3 | summer 2019

PA I D BEVERLY, MA 01915 PERMIT NO.50

COURAGE

THE CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR’S

with true courage, the campaign for governor ’s has reached a significant milestone! passing $50 million earlier this summer, our total campaign achievement to date is now $52.7 million.

CAPITAL PROJECTS

$19,000,000 $14,000,000

$30M

DEFERRED SUPPORT

$14M

$12M $12M

Progress is evident in all three focus areas of the campaign: Gifts to the endowment are close to $24 million. The Governor’s Fund has contributed almost $10 million to the campaign total. And fundraising for capital projects has reached $13.9 million, allowing for final construction plans to be drawn for both the Peter Marshall French Student Center and Parker River Environmental Studies Center, with the hope of breaking ground in 2020.

FOR ENDOWMENT

$12,000,000 ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT FACULTY & FINANCIAL AID

$30,000,000

$75M

“...GOVERNOR DUMMER WOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT WE’VE BECOME AND OF OUR RESTLESS NEED TO BUILD THE ACADEMY’S BRIGHT FUTURE.” Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14

Student cast members in the 2019 production of LIttle Shop of Horrors

$52.7M

$26.5M $17.3M $3.6M

$9.7M

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

GOAL

TH

$46M

Anything is Possible

PROGRESS TOWARD CAMPAIGN GOAL

E

GOVER N

’S OR

We are grateful to those who have brought us to this moment in the campaign; the collective commitment of support from so many has contributed to what will be the largest fundraising effort in the school’s 256-year history. There is still much work to be done to achieve our $75 million campaign goal and to secure the Governor’s experience for generations to come, however. Participation in the campaign is a way for you to make an impact on our school’s future and to honor what the Governor’s experience has meant to you as an alumnus, parent, grandparent, or friend.

THE GOVERNOR’S FUND

$19M

a newsletter from the head of school volume 3 | summer 2019

The progress and momentum surrounding With True Courage continues to inspire philanthropy throughout our community across the globe.

This is an exciting time for our school, with our $75 million goal in clear sight.

CAMPAIGN GOAL BY INITIATIVE

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A C n Sibi Sed A Y ADE M

A Note from the Head of School “THIS IS TRULY A MILESTONE MOMENT FOR THE ACADEMY; TOGETHER WE WILL CROSS THE FINISH LINE AND ACHIEVE OUR GOAL.” Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14

much of our local landscape has changed since william dummer’s grandfather chose this auspicious location to establish his family’s farm in 1635, though when I walk through campus, I’m struck by how much seems to have remained the same: the Milestone, Mansion House, and iconic views of the Parker River and Great Marsh. And yet, the Parker River and Great Marsh also tell a story of change, a story that provides numerous learning opportunities for our students. The impact of fluctuating water temperatures on various species in the river, the effect of noise pollution on the delicate ecosystem, or the effect of rising water levels on the surrounding area are just a few examples.

As we consider ways to capitalize on our proximity to the river, construction of the state-of-the-art Parker River Environmental Studies Center will be a true game changer. It promises not only to meet the needs of our expanding science curriculum, but also to drive our commitment to sustainability forward in ways we have yet to discover. Our unique location invites students to take a more hands-on approach to learn about the local environment, sometimes by wading knee-deep into the marsh or launching a kayak into the river.

Earlier this summer, the With True Courage campaign reached the $50 million milestone. This incredible achievement means that we are able to

build the places, support the people, and develop the programs that help rank Govs among the top boarding schools in our country. The results of your support are already evident around campus: new faculty housing, restored historic buildings, and a new track. We have raised more than half of the funds needed to break ground on a newly imagined and greatly expanded Peter Marshall French Student Center, which promises to foster social development and expand extracurricular programs for our students.

Our buildings must change over time to keep pace with our expanding curriculum and student needs. When I see architectural plans spread out before me or proposals for new academic courses, I believe that I have a glimpse into our courageous future—one filled with creative possibilities.

And yet, I can no sooner predict what our students will be doing many decades from now than William Dummer could when he imagined this great school. But there are two things of which I am certain: Governor Dummer would be proud of what we’ve become and of our restless need to build the Academy’s bright future, and by working together through this campaign, we will take our school further than we could ever have imagined possible.

Peter H. Quimby, Ph.D. ’85, P’14

GOVS COMMUNITY UPDATE

CAPITAL PROJECTS TAKING SHAPE ON CAMPUS

Keep On Growing!

Parker River Environmental Studies Center design concept rendering

Peter Marshall French Student Center renovation rendering

“THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FACULTY AND STUDENTS IS AT THE HEART OF THE GOVERNOR’S EXPERIENCE. WE ARE PLEASED THAT OUR GIFT WILL SUPPORT SUCH AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE SCHOOL.”

PETER MARSHALL FRENCH STUDENT CENTER RENOVATION AND EXPANSION Dedicated in 1978 by Robert and Trustee Emerita Shirley French P’76, GP’09 and their family in memory of their son Peter Marshall French, the building has long served as a lively hub for students to congregate, learn, and forge lifelong friendships. Yet today, we find that our community has significantly outgrown the building, calling for an extensive renovation and expansion to better meet the needs of our students.

A newly imagined and greatly expanded Peter Marshall French Student Center is a key fundraising priority within the With True Courage campaign. This new, flexible space promises to foster social development and expand extracurricular programs in a central space for our students. The building will also provide a comfortable and spacious home base on campus for our day students, who need easily accessible lockers, showers, and changing areas, and a safe place for drop-off and pick-up at the beginning and end of each day.

A landmark gift from the French family has sparked additional support for making our dreams of a new center a reality. “Our students will come together to laugh, to play, to debate, to learn, and to grow as individuals and as a community. I am very excited for what this new student center will mean for our community,” says Dean of Students Jed Wartman. We continue to actively fundraise and hope to begin construction in the spring of 2020.

NEW (AND OLD) FACULTY HOUSING Hiring and retaining talented and dedicated faculty is among our strategic priorities, and providing them with high-quality on-campus housing is essential. Board of Trustees President Jim Pierce ‘72, P’08 and his wife Polly P’08 believe that our faculty are the Academy’s lifeblood, and therefore wanted their gift to the With True Courage campaign to address an immediate need—comfortable homes for faculty. Two of the three homes made possible by Jim and Polly’s gift have already been built, and the third will be completed this summer.

After two decades as dorm parents, faculty members Babe and Cathy

Associate Dean of Students and science teacher Michael Lefebvre conducting field work with students on the banks of the Parker River

after two years of work, our greenhouse was completed this spring! located next to our organic garden, the greenhouse

Jim Pierce ‘72, P’08, Board of Trustee President Babe and Cathy Ceglarski P’02, ‘04, ‘11 in front of their new home

Ceglarski P’02, ‘04, ‘11 are looking forward to moving into a new home. With additional campaign gifts to support faculty housing, we hope to build another three homes within the next few years.

Preserving, renovating, and, in this case, investigating historic residences on campus is equally important. In 1991, the Academy purchased the Atwell House on the corner of Old Road and Elm Street and used the house as a single-family faculty home. Built in the eighteenth century, this home was ready for a major renovation to suit modern needs, but it also provided an incredible opportunity for a research project for our students. Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ‘21, in partnership with North Shore Regional Site Manager for Historic New England Bethany Groff Dorau, designed a year-long course in historic preservation. “If These Walls Could Talk: Historic Preservation Case Study” was part of our ongoing Visiting Professionals Seminar Series. Students, guided by historic preservation professionals, used forensic techniques and research to reveal the house’s hidden history.

PARKER RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CENTER The Parker River Environmental Studies Center, a new, state-of-the-artresearch and academic building, will be located on the north end of the Academy’s campus, strategically located on the banks of the Parker River and Great Marsh. Wet and dry labs, flexible classroom space, accommodations for visiting professionals, and a dock to access the river and launch kayaks will have a profound impact on our campus and science curriculum.

Our location on the banks of the Parker River and the surrounding Great Marsh, the largest salt marsh in New England, offers an unparalleled opportunity for students to engage in original scientific research and learn sophisticated field research skills in an exceptionally pristine and biodiverse ecosystem. Working in partnership with the esteemed Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, our students are in for a field research experience that will take them far.

A significant lead gift from the Bill ‘67 and Joan Alfond Foundation has allowed us to move forward on architectural plans and a proposed timeline to complete this major project. Total project costs are estimated at $12m, which includes an endowment to help support the building’s maintenance and a science faculty position.

Additional funds are needed in order to set a construction timeline and break ground.

was a collaboration among faculty, students, and the Facilities Department. Science teacher Lisa Bogatti selected the building’s design in consultation with her students, and construction of the greenhouse was spearheaded by science teacher Marcus Soule, who was assisted by alumna Monserrat Gabisch ‘18. Running water and electricity will be installed this summer. This project was made possible through generous grants from the Robert F. Schumann Foundation.

The addition of the greenhouse will allow students to start the growing season earlier and extend the growing season for portable plants such as herbs. Students in our environmental science classes will manage growing conditions in their lab and conduct experiments. With the greenhouse fully operational plans are being made for a hydroponic gardening collaboration between the engineering and environmental classes.

FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CENTER IMPACTS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TODAY we have begun revising our science curriculum in anticipation of the construction of the Parker River Environmental Studies Center on the banks of the Parker River. Our science department has identified key learning objectives for the program.

AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES “Providing original, student-driven research experiences for our students is at the heart of our science curriculum, and the kids love it,” says Governor’s science teacher Jamie Brandt. This past year Brandt used Skype to connect his Honors Environmental Science students with Dr. Jonathan Beever from the University of Central Florida, who helped them design an acoustic ecology project on campus. Additionally, our Marine Science classes worked on a microplastics project, and AP Environmental Science classes conducted a water analysis project with the Mill River Restoration Project and the esteemed conservation organization Trout Unlimited.

“THIS IS REAL SCIENCE; THIS IS LEARNING AT ITS BEST.”

Govs students are eager to pursue these authentic research experiences, which disrupt the academic norm and get them into the field collecting data, experimenting, and drawing conclusions on their own. This Academic Dean and Assistant authentic work doesn’t have Head of School Elaine White P’16, ‘21 a predetermined answer and students have to figure out how to draw conclusions from messy data or unexpected results. And when their work leads to real scientific discoveries, they are hooked.

“This is real science; this is learning at its best,” says Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ‘21.

DID YOU KNOW…

THE FOUNDING OF DUMMER FARM ON THE PARKER RIVER Governor William Dummer’s grandfather, Richard Dummer, first came to Byfield from Roxbury in 1635 to join a cattle-raising venture in the Byfield section of the newly settled town of Newbury. The previously struggling venture began to flourish under Richard’s management. Shortly after taking charge, Richard moved the project to land that he had purchased along the Parker River, in part because the natural boundary of the river helped to keep the valuable cattle herds from wandering off the farm. In 1636, Richard built the first grist mill on the Parker River at “the fall,” a few miles down the street from today’s campus. Both of these ventures proved to be extremely successful, significantly building the Dummer fortune that would eventually position Governor Dummer to own and later bequeath his Byfield property for the establishment of our school.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Weaving the theme of environmental sustainability throughout our science curriculum is one thing, but expanding students’ understanding of sustainability to include the lenses of equity and social justice is another challenge altogether—one that our science faculty are eager to tackle. “Access to environmental resources is not equitable across the globe, in the United States, or even in Essex County,” says Dean of Multicultural Education Eddie Carson. The science department is working with Carson to create teaching units that ask students to wrestle with issues of equity and access to resources. This commitment to awareness, action, and global thinking underscores the importance of the Seven Essential Skills; not only does it require students to think critically and solve problems, but it is a prime example of how we help students understand themselves as members of a larger community and act within a moral and ethical framework.

GOVS COMMUNITY UPDATE

CAPITAL PROJECTS TAKING SHAPE ON CAMPUS

Keep On Growing!

Parker River Environmental Studies Center design concept rendering

Peter Marshall French Student Center renovation rendering

“THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FACULTY AND STUDENTS IS AT THE HEART OF THE GOVERNOR’S EXPERIENCE. WE ARE PLEASED THAT OUR GIFT WILL SUPPORT SUCH AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE SCHOOL.”

PETER MARSHALL FRENCH STUDENT CENTER RENOVATION AND EXPANSION Dedicated in 1978 by Robert and Trustee Emerita Shirley French P’76, GP’09 and their family in memory of their son Peter Marshall French, the building has long served as a lively hub for students to congregate, learn, and forge lifelong friendships. Yet today, we find that our community has significantly outgrown the building, calling for an extensive renovation and expansion to better meet the needs of our students.

A newly imagined and greatly expanded Peter Marshall French Student Center is a key fundraising priority within the With True Courage campaign. This new, flexible space promises to foster social development and expand extracurricular programs in a central space for our students. The building will also provide a comfortable and spacious home base on campus for our day students, who need easily accessible lockers, showers, and changing areas, and a safe place for drop-off and pick-up at the beginning and end of each day.

A landmark gift from the French family has sparked additional support for making our dreams of a new center a reality. “Our students will come together to laugh, to play, to debate, to learn, and to grow as individuals and as a community. I am very excited for what this new student center will mean for our community,” says Dean of Students Jed Wartman. We continue to actively fundraise and hope to begin construction in the spring of 2020.

NEW (AND OLD) FACULTY HOUSING Hiring and retaining talented and dedicated faculty is among our strategic priorities, and providing them with high-quality on-campus housing is essential. Board of Trustees President Jim Pierce ‘72, P’08 and his wife Polly P’08 believe that our faculty are the Academy’s lifeblood, and therefore wanted their gift to the With True Courage campaign to address an immediate need—comfortable homes for faculty. Two of the three homes made possible by Jim and Polly’s gift have already been built, and the third will be completed this summer.

After two decades as dorm parents, faculty members Babe and Cathy

Associate Dean of Students and science teacher Michael Lefebvre conducting field work with students on the banks of the Parker River

after two years of work, our greenhouse was completed this spring! located next to our organic garden, the greenhouse

Jim Pierce ‘72, P’08, Board of Trustee President Babe and Cathy Ceglarski P’02, ‘04, ‘11 in front of their new home

Ceglarski P’02, ‘04, ‘11 are looking forward to moving into a new home. With additional campaign gifts to support faculty housing, we hope to build another three homes within the next few years.

Preserving, renovating, and, in this case, investigating historic residences on campus is equally important. In 1991, the Academy purchased the Atwell House on the corner of Old Road and Elm Street and used the house as a single-family faculty home. Built in the eighteenth century, this home was ready for a major renovation to suit modern needs, but it also provided an incredible opportunity for a research project for our students. Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ‘21, in partnership with North Shore Regional Site Manager for Historic New England Bethany Groff Dorau, designed a year-long course in historic preservation. “If These Walls Could Talk: Historic Preservation Case Study” was part of our ongoing Visiting Professionals Seminar Series. Students, guided by historic preservation professionals, used forensic techniques and research to reveal the house’s hidden history.

PARKER RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CENTER The Parker River Environmental Studies Center, a new, state-of-the-artresearch and academic building, will be located on the north end of the Academy’s campus, strategically located on the banks of the Parker River and Great Marsh. Wet and dry labs, flexible classroom space, accommodations for visiting professionals, and a dock to access the river and launch kayaks will have a profound impact on our campus and science curriculum.

Our location on the banks of the Parker River and the surrounding Great Marsh, the largest salt marsh in New England, offers an unparalleled opportunity for students to engage in original scientific research and learn sophisticated field research skills in an exceptionally pristine and biodiverse ecosystem. Working in partnership with the esteemed Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, our students are in for a field research experience that will take them far.

A significant lead gift from the Bill ‘67 and Joan Alfond Foundation has allowed us to move forward on architectural plans and a proposed timeline to complete this major project. Total project costs are estimated at $12m, which includes an endowment to help support the building’s maintenance and a science faculty position.

Additional funds are needed in order to set a construction timeline and break ground.

was a collaboration among faculty, students, and the Facilities Department. Science teacher Lisa Bogatti selected the building’s design in consultation with her students, and construction of the greenhouse was spearheaded by science teacher Marcus Soule, who was assisted by alumna Monserrat Gabisch ‘18. Running water and electricity will be installed this summer. This project was made possible through generous grants from the Robert F. Schumann Foundation.

The addition of the greenhouse will allow students to start the growing season earlier and extend the growing season for portable plants such as herbs. Students in our environmental science classes will manage growing conditions in their lab and conduct experiments. With the greenhouse fully operational plans are being made for a hydroponic gardening collaboration between the engineering and environmental classes.

FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CENTER IMPACTS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TODAY we have begun revising our science curriculum in anticipation of the construction of the Parker River Environmental Studies Center on the banks of the Parker River. Our science department has identified key learning objectives for the program.

AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES “Providing original, student-driven research experiences for our students is at the heart of our science curriculum, and the kids love it,” says Governor’s science teacher Jamie Brandt. This past year Brandt used Skype to connect his Honors Environmental Science students with Dr. Jonathan Beever from the University of Central Florida, who helped them design an acoustic ecology project on campus. Additionally, our Marine Science classes worked on a microplastics project, and AP Environmental Science classes conducted a water analysis project with the Mill River Restoration Project and the esteemed conservation organization Trout Unlimited.

“THIS IS REAL SCIENCE; THIS IS LEARNING AT ITS BEST.”

Govs students are eager to pursue these authentic research experiences, which disrupt the academic norm and get them into the field collecting data, experimenting, and drawing conclusions on their own. This Academic Dean and Assistant authentic work doesn’t have Head of School Elaine White P’16, ‘21 a predetermined answer and students have to figure out how to draw conclusions from messy data or unexpected results. And when their work leads to real scientific discoveries, they are hooked.

“This is real science; this is learning at its best,” says Academic Dean and Assistant Head of School Elaine White P’16, ‘21.

DID YOU KNOW…

THE FOUNDING OF DUMMER FARM ON THE PARKER RIVER Governor William Dummer’s grandfather, Richard Dummer, first came to Byfield from Roxbury in 1635 to join a cattle-raising venture in the Byfield section of the newly settled town of Newbury. The previously struggling venture began to flourish under Richard’s management. Shortly after taking charge, Richard moved the project to land that he had purchased along the Parker River, in part because the natural boundary of the river helped to keep the valuable cattle herds from wandering off the farm. In 1636, Richard built the first grist mill on the Parker River at “the fall,” a few miles down the street from today’s campus. Both of these ventures proved to be extremely successful, significantly building the Dummer fortune that would eventually position Governor Dummer to own and later bequeath his Byfield property for the establishment of our school.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS Weaving the theme of environmental sustainability throughout our science curriculum is one thing, but expanding students’ understanding of sustainability to include the lenses of equity and social justice is another challenge altogether—one that our science faculty are eager to tackle. “Access to environmental resources is not equitable across the globe, in the United States, or even in Essex County,” says Dean of Multicultural Education Eddie Carson. The science department is working with Carson to create teaching units that ask students to wrestle with issues of equity and access to resources. This commitment to awareness, action, and global thinking underscores the importance of the Seven Essential Skills; not only does it require students to think critically and solve problems, but it is a prime example of how we help students understand themselves as members of a larger community and act within a moral and ethical framework.