In the closing pages of this masterpiece Levin is caught in the struggle to find meaning and purpose in his life. Having watched his brother die, he is struck by his own mortality and seeks to understand the divide between his spiritual aspirations and the dullness of his “ordinary actual life.”  Prior to his Nikolai’s death, Levin was immune to these questions and in his simplicity of living a committed and thoughtful existence, he found purpose. His work ethic and generally hopeful disposition laid the groundwork for a life oriented to self-definition through hard work and connection to community. His brother’s passing shook this world and it is only through a period of unsettled reflection that he comes to understand what he believes. It is this final chapter, while looking at the Milky Way that Levin shares his wisdom and recognizes the universality of his experience, his emotions, and his being;  and in this recognition he finds both solace and comfort.

 “This new feeling has not changed me, has not made me happy and enlightened all of a sudden, as I had dreamed, just like the feeling for my child. There was no surprise in this either. Faith - or not faith - I don’t know what it is - but this feeling has come just as imperceptibly through suffering, and has taken firm root in my soul.” 

This description is followed by the knowledge that he will continue to err and be human in his relationships, something he initially hoped and believed might be cured by further developing his spiritual side through a more profound understanding of himself.

 “… I shall go on in the same way, losing my temper with Ivan the coachman… I shall still go on scolding her [his wife] for my own terror, and being remorseful for it; I shall still be as unable to understand with my reason why I pray, and I shall still go on praying…

It is in this moment that he knows he doesn’t have to fully comprehend and that he cannot reason his way to understanding or to faith. He has learned rather that because his soul, his conscience, is fit to know both right and wrong, and guides him to these, he is able to live with purpose and can choose to do so.

 “… but my life now, my whole life apart from anything that can happen to me, every minute of it is not more meaningless, as it was before, but it has the positive meaning of goodness, which I have the power to put into it.”

Today I listened as a community of people gathered to celebrate the life of Mike Dawes, a colleague and friend of mine. I listened in awe as his friends and family rejoiced in the life he’d lived, in the wisdom he’d shared, in the purpose he’d derived from his connections to everyone. It was one of the most beautiful tributes I’ve ever participated in and I feel grateful for the opportunity to both have known Mike, but to have been among his family and dear friends as they commemorated him.

As I listened to his closest friends and his son, I gladly revisited memories of the man across the hall. Mike’s office was paper-airplane-distance-flight from mine and I could always hear his booming voice greeting students, guffawing with colleagues, or challenging parents. Mike put the “positive meaning of goodness” into everything he did, whether that was fishing and spending time with family, or speaking to young people about life’s great opportunities. His life and his legacy was one of intentional celebration and gratitude, of love and laughter.   

Today, I am reminded, like Levin, that I have the power to put goodness and positivity into my life. Thanks for that reminder Mike.

Best, John

Of course, with the fun come trials and tribulations.  This was first evident when my wife and Abel were still in the hospital.  Owen, in a fit of exhausted tears, lamented missing his mommy and cried: “I want my baby brother to come home.” He was thoughtful in his complaint, but what he was mostly saying was, “I’m tired and need loving.” Needless to say the end of the day time can be challenging as Fiona comes home from camp and Owen returns from adventures at daycare.  I love this time of day but have my moments of trepidation.  Melt downs happen without forewarning and the child who is laughing one minute might be bawling the next and vice versa.  It is for this reason that I am so completely grateful for the community I live in.

I was informed ten days ago that dinners had been arranged and selected by a core team of faculty and staff.  Since then, we’ve had a steady stream of hot meals from co-workers who are trying to help alleviate some of that 4:00-7:30 PM crazy time.  Their efforts have been wonderfully helpful.  These meals and the generosity of my peers have provided some essential extra time for Kirsten and me to dedicate to our children, free from the hustle of meal prep.  More than this, it has demonstrated for our kids how neighbors and friends can live together.  Be thoughtful, help out, give what you have.  In essence, share. Although we’re still working on this one, my kids are getting the picture.  Fiona and Owen asked last night, who is bringing dinner tonight?  They meet the delivery with appreciation and gratitude, curious to experience someone else’s cooking.

I’ve known all along that living in the Hyde community has its benefits.  As my children grow up here I see how colleagues and students care for Owen and Fiona, watching out for them, and nurturing them.  I look forward to introducing Abel to Hyde and to the world, knowing those right here at home will be helping to bring out his best and to teach him some of life’s more precious lessons.

John

Today, the campus buzz mirrored that of a just opened hive. In preparation for the start of the 2010 Summer Challenge Program on Saturday, the campus came alive with faculty, student leaders, and college interns. The energy is positive and hopeful in anticipation for the start of the program. You can hear it in the buzz. When new students arrive on Saturday, they too will have their own buzz and energy about them. And, so much like bees, learning how to work well with them, learning their secrets and strengths will require patience and concern and trust. 

Best,

John

Similarly, I found this spring that I had lots of excuses for why not to blog.  Having spent nine months straight blogging, I felt like I’d had a good run of it. I loved the return to writing and the creativity it demanded of me.  I enjoyed the reactions from peers, parents, and students.  It was cathartic in many ways, just like running.  And yet, I didn’t blog much this spring.

So, here I am, back at the end of June. Last year, I posted my first blog on June 27^th and discussed in it my reasons “To Blog or Not to Blog.”  (Frankly, I must have made a pretty good argument to myself for blogging because I posted over sixty-five entries.)  I think that blogging is good for me in much the same way that running is.  Seeing as I’ve started running again this in the past month, I’m going to get back in the saddle to blog again too.

See you in the blogosphere. 

John

• Physics at Fun Town- Mr. Romac’s physics classes made their annual trek to Fun Town, an amusement park in Saco, ME for physics day.  In addition to getting to ride the roller coasters, the students actually apply what they have been learning in class to determine rates of speed, velocity and energy used.  “It was a beautiful day, we got to go on all of the rides, and reflect on physics.”- Alex Merkin ‘10
• Senior Exams and Evaluations- The seniors took a respite from evaluation process to finish the academic portion of their Hyde School careers.  Beginning Tuesday with Government and English tests, and ending with Language exams on Friday, the seniors exalted in the accomplishment of wrapping up their classroom expectations.  They will begin working on graduation speeches this afternoon, and meet with Joey Gauld on Sunday to talk about dreams and visions for their future.  It is an intense time for the seniors and is proving to be full of self-reflection, insights and recognition of their successes, strength, challenges and growth during their time at Hyde.
• Spring Athletic Awards- Congratulations to the men’s track team for their MAISAD championship season and to the women’s lacrosse team for their victory last Saturday to capture the league championship as well.  Below are the end of the season recognitions that were awarded earlier this week:
• Men’s Track:

MVP: Kenton Powell ‘10

MIP: Ryan Sunshine ‘12

New England Champions: Kenton Powell - shot put

MAISAD All-Star: Kenton Powell, Dexter Jenks ‘10, Wes Freston ‘11 and Chris   Moulton ‘12

• Women’s Track

MVP: Robin Platte ‘10

MIP: Emeline Ferguson ‘11

New England Champion: Robin Platte- high jump

MAISAD All-Star: Robin Platte & Caroline Jackson ‘10

• Tennis Team

MVP: Sage Harris ‘11

MIP: Tyrone Freston ‘11

MAISAD All-Star: Sage Harris

• Men’s Varsity Lacrosse

MVP: Tyler Works ‘10

MIP: Alex Needham ‘10

MASIAD All-Star: Connor Harbert ‘11 & Tyler Works

• Women’s Varsity Lacrosse

MVP’s: Scout Gauld ‘10 & Olivia Chance ‘10

MIP: Alyssa Thomas ‘11

MAISAD All-Star: Alyssa Thomas, Scout Gauld, Olivia Chance, Zoe Dorian ‘10

• Men’s Junior Varsity Lacrosse

MVP: Jon Levitt ‘11

MIP: Alec Randall ‘12

COOL LINKS: Graduation Release | According to Truluck | Cool Class Lesson | Meet the Summer Program Directors | Follow us on Twitter

Woodstock Highlights:

• Parent Academy continues - Rick Chesley, father of Nate Chesley ‘12, came and taught a class period to Bill Fabiano’s US History classes and Kevin Folan’s AP US History class on the Battle of Vicksburg. Rick was a history major in college and while he decided to go on to law school instead of teaching, he has always kept up a love for history. He brought in letters from Civil War soldiers to their family and friends as an example of how the Civil War was one of the first wars fought by literate soldiers. The students asked many questions and really appreciated Rick’s perspective on the Civil War. Faculty member Bill Fabiano stated, “It was so impressive that someone, not in the teaching field, has such a strong passion for history and is willing to share it with students.”
• Run Baby Run - This past weekend the Woodstock campus, students, and faculty geared up to host the Division III Track & Field New England Championship. With over twenty teams visiting, the campus was abuzz with activity from mid-morning through dinner time. Hyde Woodstock Track & Field athletes performed well, bringing home a few ribbons and medals. Many of them also set personal records. Nora Curran ‘10 set a new school record in the pole vault and won first in her event. Shawn Campbell (PG) earned three first places in the Long Jump, the 100 m dash, and the 200 m dash. Shawn’s effort in the Long Jump placed him in the New England record books with a whopping 23′ 2″. Senior Lexi Burke placed 4^th in the shot put and added two feet to her best discus throw. Senior Tim Hallenbeck put great heart into his 110 High Hurdles and dropped half a second from his race. Junior Mac McGuire placed 4^th in the pole vault. Overall, Hyde’s men’s team came in 7^th place and the women’s team came in 10^th overall. While each athlete’s success stands out, the overall effort from the entire team and community to make this event happen was very impressive.Assistant Head John Rigney led a great Hyde team of event coordinators that impressed everyone who attended!
• Ladies Luncheon - On Monday, the female seniors, faculty and staff donned spring finery and gathered at the Head’s house to have a power lunch and share wisdom. Each senior was presented with a bracelet made by Sue Schofield and Mamie Horstmann and then listened to “pearls of wisdom” from their elders. The group then gathered and shared these insights:

1. Be true to yourself and let go of people pleasing.

2. Stand for something and play big.

3. Say what you mean, but don’t say it in a mean way.

4. If you decide to get married, prepare for a lot of hard work.

5. Find female mentors on your life and ask for their guidance.

6. Live within your means and you will be happier.

7. Know when a relationship is holding you back.

8. Laugh at yourself frequently.

9. Manners and poise will take you a long way.

10. Never forget the power of a hand-written thank you note!

• Thank you seniors! - As the school prepared for commencement, we had our last school meeting with the seniors. Seniors stood and shared the lessons learned from the evaluation process. Then, the students and faculty shared thoughts and feelings about the seniors and their legacy to the school. It was both emotional and powerful. Some of the comments that seniors said to students and faculty: “You helped me become a man.” “I reconnected to my love of learning.” “You believed in me when others did not.” “I didn’t want to come and now I don’t want to leave.” LDG/DM

COOL LINKS: Graduation Release | Track Championships | Cavalli Chatter | Meet the Summer Program Directors | Follow us on Twitter

• Season Championships- It is a busy time for our athletic teams as they all participate in end of the season championships.  The men’s track team won the MAISAD championship last Tuesday.  The team bested the second place finisher 140 to 127.  The team was led by Chris Moulton ‘12 (1^st javelin), Justin Castor ‘11 (2^nd javelin; 3^rd 300m IH), Dexter Jenks ‘10 (1^st pole vault), Jonah Alexander ‘12 (2^nd high jump) Kenton Powell ‘10 (1^st shot put; 1^st long jump; 3^rd discus), Wes Freston ‘11 (1^st 200m; 3^rd 100m), Ryan Sunshine ‘12 (2^nd 3000m) Zach Pfosi ‘10 (3^rd 1500m ).
• The women’s track team also competed and took home a fourth place finish, after recording many personal bests in their events.  Robin Platte ‘10 won the pole vault, and took second in both the high jump and the triple jump. In discus,  Lily Smith ‘11 (2^nd) and Jheanelle Duhaney ‘10 (3^rd)  both scored points. Other top finishers were Tierra Williams ‘10 (3^rd 300 IH; 3^rd shot put) CeCe Jackson ‘10 (1^st 1500m; 4^th 800 m), Emma Falkinburg ‘13 (2^nd 400m) and Emeline Ferguson ‘11 (3^rd 400m).
• The tennis team had their singles championship on Wednesday with the doubles tournament set for Saturday.  Although none of the players advanced to the finals, Sage Harris ‘11, was able to advance to the quarterfinals before falling to Kents Hill School’s Nico Sarcher in a tightly contested match.
• In lacrosse, the men’s varsity lost in the opening round 10 - 3 to Hebron after playing some of its best lacrosse of the season in the first half. Connor Harbert ‘11, and Curt Chessman ‘10 paced the offense, while standouts defensively for the team were Mike Ingalls ‘10, Tyler Works ‘10, Alex Needham ‘10 and Max Warchol ‘10.  Likewise, the men’s jv lacrosse team fell in the first round after earning a number two seed.  Alex Armstead ‘11 and Matan Peletier ‘11 led the offense from their attack positions while Wonseo Huh ‘11 and Jon Levitt ‘11 played well, controlling the midfield action.  The women’s lacrosse team triumphed in their initial playoff game and will be vying for the championship this Saturday at Hebron Academy.  Olivia Chance ‘10 (5 goals 1 assist), Scout Gauld ‘10 (4g) and Zoe Dorian ‘10 (1g 4a) provided the spark offensively while Alyssa Thomas ‘11 (22 saves) backstopped the defense.
• Student to Student- On Monday, a group of Hyde international students representing Rwanda, Haiti, China, Korea, Spain and England were interviewed by the Bath Middle School students about their culture and customs.  On Thursday, 40 students traveled to Camden, Maine to present a Know Yourself/Be Yourself workshop with the entire sixth grade.  These opportunities always seem to bring out the best in both the Hyde students and the middle schoolers.  Maria Libby, the principal at Camden, said the visits by the Hyde students are “far and away, the best thing our  kids do all year.”
• Senior Soliloquies, Part II-  As a culmination to their year in English, the seniors wrote soliloquies and performed them under the Chandelier on Friday. During the winter, their soliloquies focused on moments of challenge and struggle.  This spring, the seniors focused on their moments of enlightenment during the year.  The seniors addressed topics such as moments from the athletic fields, leading the Spirit/Fun committee for weekend events, learning to listen and the excitement and anxiety of stepping fully into adulthood.

COOL LINKS: New Podcast | According to Truluck | Hoffman Update | Meet the Summer Program Directors | Follow us on Twitter

Woodstock Highlights:

• Power of Grandparents - On Friday, we welcomed over thirty grandparents to the Woodstock campus for a wonderful day. The group met with Hyde’s Founder Joey Gauld to hear about the founding of the school and thoughts on the importance of grandparents. After a tour of the school, the students and their grandparents sat down to a fabulous lunch prepared by Chef Mo and Annhurst lounge was filled with discussion and laughter. Grandparents of Sarah DeNunzio ‘11 and Jackson Bender ‘11 realized they knew each other from their Princeton days. Many other grandparents traveled long distances to visit the school and learn more about Hyde. At the school meeting, the students performed numbers from the school show and then talked about life lessons learned from their grandparents. Comments included:

“I learned manners, character and dignity from my grandparents.”

“My grandmother taught me that family comes first.”

“I learned from my grandfather the value of hard work.”

At the end of the day, each student wrote a statement to their grandparents about their gifts and this was read to the whole group.  Associate Head Bob Felt said, “We all elevated today with our grandparents here.” The line of the day for me was George Hammond’s grandfather, Jim Hammond, who was a long-time Holderness faculty and coach. As he shook my hand, he said with a twinkle in his eye, “I used to coach with Joey Gauld back when he was still Joe!”

• Song of Myself - As part of their final exam and final projects, the seniors created personal expressions of themselves in conjunction with textual analyses of Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself. The final projects incorporated artistic presentations with video, photography, and three- dimensional arts. Seniors shared these on Thursday evening with peers and some faculty as part of the evaluation and academic process. Assistant Head John Rigney commented, “I am proud of the way the senior class has integrated insightful and powerful statements of self-discovery and academic achievement.”
• Explorations in Science - A week and a half ago, eight students from the Explorations in the Sciences class took a trip to the Boston Museum of Science, to take pictures, experience science hands-on, and learn more about their topic. Tuesday these students stood in front of an all-school assembly to give their final presentations. Explorations is a project-based course that allows students to pursue their individual interests in science and technology, and each student had researched a particular topic, from solar power to nanotechnology to dinosaur evolution. The presentations as a whole were well-received by the school, even those who identified themselves as “non-science types,” and helped to spark curiosity in these final days of the spring term. LDG/DM

COOL LINKS: College Tee Day | SFW VID | Hoffman Update | Meet the Summer Program Directors | Follow us on Twitter

• Track Triumphs - The men’s and women’s track teams competed in their second track meet of the season at Hebron Academy on Saturday.  The competition included all MAISAD track schools: Hebron, NYA, Elan, Seacoast, and Gould.  It was a good day for Hyde as both our men’s and women’s teams won!   Standouts were many, including senior Robin Platte ‘10 who won the pole vault (7′0″), Lily Smith ‘11 winning in the discus throw with a personal best of 79′2″, Emeline Ferguson ‘11 who surprised herself and placed first in the 100m high hurdles (21.7), CeCe Jackson ‘10 was the winner of the 1500m with a season best 6:01.21. A new addition to our team, Ashley Hellstrom ‘11 grabbed a second place in the 300 hurdles (59.21) and Tierra Williams ‘10 took third in the shot put (24′7″).  Men’s highlights included Kenton Powell ‘10, winning the men’s shot put (45′8″) and the long jump (18′8½”). Chris Moulton ‘12 who set another personal record of 153′6″ as winner of the javelin. Teammate Justin Castor ‘11 took second in the javelin with a throw of 129′3″. Dexter Jenks ‘10 took second in the pole vault (8′ 0″),  Wes Freston ‘11 grabbed points for us in the 100m, placing second (11.57). Jonah Alexander ‘12 placed second with a high jump of 5′4″.  In a very competitive distance event, Ryan Sunshine ‘12 took second place in the 3000m with a personal best time of 10:31.21.  It truly was a super day for our track team.
• Strengths and Challenges - Faculty evaluations were held on Wednesday.  Contrary to what one may think, this is not an opportunity for our faculty to evaluate students, but rather an open forum for students to evaluate their teachers.  Each spring students have the opportunity to speak candidly, giving teachers positive feedback as well as constructive ideas on what they may do differently in their teaching.  This provides teachers with extremely valuable insights into ways to change, improve or remain consistent in their teaching. The face-to-face feedback also helps the students in their own development and self image as young adults who can communicate respectively and constructively to other adults.
• The Last Honors and Warnings of the Year - The Academic Honor Guard was named this week, based on Honors/ Warnings evaluations done with students in each of their classes.  The following are students who have earned the privilege to study in the Mansion or library during study hall based on consistent exemplary class work.  Students who received five honors and no warnings this period are Ryan Braun ‘12, Theodore Cercos ‘11, Olivia Chance ‘10, Yan Chen ‘12, Sung Yun Chung ‘13, Ryan Connolly ‘11, Erin Fonseca ‘10, Barry Gao ‘11, Scout Gauld ‘10, Paxton Hansard ‘12, Brittany Hardin ‘10, Brittney Harris ‘10, Alexander Hays ‘11, Alex Needham ‘10, Hailun Ni ‘10, Maeve O’Sullivan ‘10, Catherine Vidal Bouret ‘11 and Shannon Vize ‘10. Students who received four honors, one transition and no warnings are James Allen ‘10, Aneth Batamuliza ‘11, Kurt Chessman ‘10, Jheanelle Duhaney ‘10, James Frazier ‘11, Johnny Fu ‘12, Nic Hartley ‘10, Julia Herman ‘10, Wonseo Huh ‘11, Ross Klumac ‘12 and Hannah MacMillan ‘10.

COOL LINKS: HBC Family Weekend Episode | Pat Damon Forum | Summer Plans? Summer X | Open House is Around The Corner

Woodstock Highlights:

• We are family! - Over the weekend, Hyde Woodstock brought together students, faculty and families to participate in that special brand of Hyde magic known as “Family Weekend.” The student body set the tone for a weekend filled with class rotations, athletic contests, family seminars, workshops and powerful community meetings. The major struggle of the weekend was negotiating the poor sound quality in the theater. Again, parents stepped up to help with that. Students shared some of the “take home” of the weekend:

“I learned that my Mom has faced many of the same challenges in her life that I am going through and she helped me move forward.”

“I was able to start talking to my older sister in a new way.”

“My parents came together for the first time since their divorce. I was thrilled with their ever-growing progress.”

“My Dad came up and we reinforced our relationship. We also laid out what we expected of each other over the summer and we had a great weekend overall.”

“I learned that our family can all come together and face the challenges as they come.”

• Junior to Junior - This week, our sister school in Washington, DC came for a junior exchange where the focus was on leadership development and preparation for the Hyde senior year. Some of the activities that we did together included: team building, trust walks, story telling, performing arts, a confrontation workshop, public speaking and ethics class. At the final debrief, everyone spoke about what we learned from each other and how we can take our new view of self back to both DC and to the Woodstock campus. Friendships were formed and a stronger commitment developed to continue our partnership with Hyde-DC. As one student said, “I came expecting that I would be an outsider but I felt welcomed and we are more alike than we are different.” Hyde is an organization that has both a private and a public vision of education and this week showed us all why that is so important.
• May I have this dance? - On Thursday night, seniors and their dates loaded the infamous Woodstock bus to travel to Lord Thompson Manor for the prom. Limos and exclusive groupings were replaced with a beautiful mansion setting where the students and faculty dined on amazing food and danced the night away, along with some renditions of the school song and favorite Hyde sayings. Earlier that afternoon, there was some activity in the Dean’s area and several students were suddenly left without escorts. In true Hyde fashion, tuxedos were borrowed and we turned an obstacle into an opportunity. Prom organizers Susie Racine and Sue Schofield commented that this was the best prom atmosphere that they have seen in many years. The conversation of the week for me was a discussion with Jasmine Staley ‘10 upon her return to campus a few days ago regarding her new hairdo. “Is that real?” I asked. “It’s human,” she replied. “Is it yours?” She didn’t miss a beat. “I paid for it. It’s mine now.” LDG/DM

COOL LINKS: Spring Sports Pics | Share the NBC-CT Segment | Summer Plans? Summer X | Open House is Around The Corner

However they get here, once they sit in the chair and start to talk about their vision of their future, inevitably their faces light up. Even a student who is completely sure he or she is not going to college has a vision and that vision is exciting. We talk about how this year has gone and what they need to do next to take their academics to the next level. Some are taking a first look at their transcripts and realizing either - “hey, this is not as bad as I thought” or “yeah, I see how I can put more effort into finishing this year - hope is not lost.” We talk about ACTs and SATs and how they’ve got tools to draw upon to tackle these scary tests - attitude is everything in all parts of the college process and seeing that now is important. Then we take a look at their Naviance account and have them take a go at the College Search function which they will need to do on their own a few more times with different criteria. Once we get some colleges to put on their “Colleges I’m thinking about” list we look at what information Naviance has for them about each college. Eyes open with delight and the “this isn’t as hard as I thought” look flashes across their faces.

And then we talk about the way they are going to finish this year - how stepping up in leadership, letting their voices be heard in the community, taking risks and taking steps they’ve resisted will get them ready to be seniors and will lead to strong recommendations because faculty will get to know them and see their growth. Eyes get wider - but now it’s with doubt and reluctance: “can I do that?” Will I be a hypocrite because I’ve criticized the seniors all year for doing just that? Can I stand up to someone who is in refusal mode and not quit on them? Can I be a leader? Is what I have to say really important? And this is where the magic of Hyde really begins for me - because I get to help juniors connect the dots: their vision can be a reality if they walk this path and gain the confidence, leadership skills, resilience to not quit when things get tough, ability to put their best effort into their work and build their tool box for the trials and tribulations of life ahead. I get to talk them through walking into the threshold so that they can peak into the future where time and destiny are pulling them. I get to tell them that it’s possible and here’s how we’re going to do it - and they look at me and say “ok - let’s go.”

I gotta say - this is why I love my job!

I would like to nominate Jake Lifson. When he caught a Boston Blazers shirt at the game he realized it was too small and gave it to a young kid sitting in front of us.  He has also been working very hard since he has returned to break from his old image and become a positive member of the community.

On Friday, Haruka Koda, Bryn Nolan, Nathan Chesley, Ryan Delaney, and Nora Curran had lunch with a group of my classmates who were visiting campus.  All of the students were engaging, honest, and enthusiastic so much so that my classmates identified that lunch as the best part of the visit.  They were inspired by the way in which the students identified their personal connection to the process and maturity to engage in such a dialogue.

I nominate Zach Birnbaum.  Zach has jumped in with both feet and is trying to utilize all the resources available to him for growth in his family.  He initiated an FLC with his dad who he hasn’t communicated with in a few years and handled the FLC with a maturity beyond his years.  He also has volunteered to facilitate the FLC this weekend.  He is a great example of a student led process!

• The One Thing- This week in Discovery Groups, students and faculty discussed the concept of committing to ‘one thing’ that they can do every day for the spring term.  Introduced by Hyde president Malcolm Gauld many years ago, the ‘one thing’ is something a student, teacher (or parent) will do each day, not try to do.  The ‘one thing’ activity both encourages the community to work together toward positive outcomes and creates a sense of personal rigor.  All ‘one thing’ statements were written on note cards, and will be posted in the academic wing. Examples of student and faculty ‘one things’ include picking up three pieces of trash, having a conversation with someone new and journaling before bed every night.
• Tennis Team Kicks off Spring Competitions- The wet spring hasn’t stopped our athletes.  Though the turf field is still under construction, the lacrosse and track teams have been working outdoors to prepare for competitions beginning this weekend.  Leading the way, the tennis team had their first match on Wednesday, getting nudged out by Berwick Academy 3-2.  Ryan Connolly ‘11 made a lot of great shots, but missed many key points that could have resulted in won games. With his competitive attitude and willingness to work hard, we can expect great things this season.  Jun Ho Ra’s ‘11 young opponent often had trouble with Jun Ho’s strong serve, but made some adjustments and was able to capitalize on Jun Ho’s rusty backhand.  Sage Harris ‘11 won her match.  She did a nice job of keeping the ball in play and as a result, won many points from unforced errors by her opponent.  Ted Cercos ‘11 and Kayla Sheldon ‘11 played an eight game pro-set due to time constraints and worked well together for their first win.  Luke Locatell and Alex Merkin battled through the first set of their match, going to deuce frequently, but ultimately lost.
• More College Acceptances- It is that time of year, when the hard work that many seniors have undertaken-starting last spring with the creation of their college list, then essay writing, college visits and editing of resumes in the summer, followed by more essay writing, studying for SAT and subject tests in the fall, and finally sending off the applications-is rewarded with college acceptances.  Members of this year’s senior class have so far been accepted to many outstanding institutions including smaller New England liberal arts schools such as Bates College, Bowdoin College and Mount Holyoke College as well as mid-Atlantic schools including George Mason University, George Washington University and Gettysburg College. Our large university choices include University of California-San Diego, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of South Carolina, University of Vermont and University of New Hampshire.  Congratulations seniors!
• On Friday, Mr. Levesque’s AP U.S. History class competed in Presidential Madness.  Students were each assigned a president and spoke from that person’s viewpoint on issues relevant to his term in office.  This debate style tournament matched presidents against one another in four rounds of single elimination debating.  Debates are wrapping up today, with the final champion to be determined on Monday.

Woodstock Highlights:

• Passover at Hyde - On Monday night, fourteen students, faculty and staff gathered at the Head of School’s house to share in the preparation and traditional Seder. Faculty member Meara Palmer-Young did most of the delicious cooking and seniors Erica Fagien, Simi DeAngelis, Maddy Schley, Nora Curran and Craig Levine took the lead in the evening. Freshman Evan Berger got his grandmother on the phone and sang a Yiddish song to the group. Assistant Dean Linda McGuire said, “The meal is filled with ritual and tradition and we were able to bring that here along with new traditions.” The nurse Cheryl Champ sent an email, “I have always been so very proud of all that we do in regards to the “Character Education” that Hyde is known for. Last night I attended my first ever “student conducted Seder,” and all I can say is that it was outstanding.  The spirit of Passover was very much conveyed, further filling my heart with affection for the students who are entrusted to us.”
• Know Yourself/Be Yourself - This week, we worked with 130 seventh graders from the Woodstock Middle School to participate in our fourth annual Know Yourself/Be Yourself program. Forty Hyde students and several faculty members put the students through team building, skits, discussions on bullying and sharing each other’s highest vision. The campus was alive with shouts, laughter, high fives and serious faces huddled in small groups to share inner thoughts. Family Education Director Donna Dubinsky told the Hyde students, “I couldn’t have been more proud of you all today. You really made a difference in those kids in a very short time.” The seventh graders stood and expressed their excitement about the new relationships that they had formed.  Jill Walter, Guidance Counselor for WMS said in an email, “Please let your students and staff know how much we appreciate all their hard work and effort with the program.”  Another teacher spoke to me after the workshop and said, “Your students were able to get kids to talk about things in two hours that we have tried all year to achieve!”

• Say it loud and Say it Proud! - This week’s meeting began with students and faculty sharing thoughts from three areas: Where are we struggling? Where are we on top of our game? Where are we finding pure joy? We then went to our annual class mottos, a Woodstock ritual where each group takes a few minutes to capture their class’ essence through a phrase. Some favorites from the past were “Save the drama for your mama!” and “You’ll thank us later!” This year’s mottos are:

Freshmen -  ”The future of Hyde!”

Sophomore - “Life- Bring it!”

Juniors - “Working hard 24/7; watch out we’re taking over; Class of  2011″

Seniors- “Our legacy will be left behind; take these words as a sign!”

Faculty - “Come on Baby!”   (Ode to Tom Bragg)