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

Honors Graduate Nora Curran

Woodstock, CT–On Saturday May 22, Nora Miranda-Hamer Curran graduated from Hyde School with special recognition and honors. She was recognized at both the Hyde Baccalaureate and Graduation Ceremonies for her outstanding academic and athletic performance and personal growth.

“The designation of Honors at Hyde School recognizes seniors who set a consistent example of leadership and personal growth for their peers,” says Hyde Assistant Head of School and English teacher John Rigney.  ”As a senior, Nora was a strong role model of character and personal growth.”

Nora Curran was born and grew up in the Boston area. Her family moved to Woodstock in 2004. Nora began her academic career at the Woodstock Middle School before moving on to pursue an education at Hyde School. Along with graduating with honors, Nora Curran was presented with the Academic Triangle Award, an Excellence in Athletics Award, and was selected to the All New England Track & Field Team.

In her graduation speech, Nora used a circus metaphor to highlight  how she has come to embrace her “inner clown.” Today I enter the next phase of my life,” she remarked, “where I plan on juggling the challenges thrown at me, jumping into everything I want, and using all my strength to climb and reach the top.”

Nora will be working this summer as a counselor at Circus Smirkus Summer Camp in Lyndon Center, Vermont, and she will be attending Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts in the fall.

The Hyde School approach to education has been developed since 1966 at the Hyde boarding campuses in Bath, Maine, and Woodstock, Connecticut, and through public school initiatives in New Haven, Connecticut, Washington, DC, and Bronx, New York. The organization, based in Bath, also includes national parenting workshops and wilderness experiences.

Ninety eight percent of Hyde School graduates are accepted to four-year colleges.

To learn more about Hyde Schools, its summer programs, and parenting and teen workshops, log on to www.hyde.edu. For more information about this event, contact Laura Michaels at lmichaels@hyde.edu or 850-963-4763.

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

Hyde-Woodstock's Class of 2010

On May 22, Hyde School held its 14^th Commencement Exercise on the Woodstock, Connecticut campus. Presenting diplomas at the event were Hyde Chairman of the Board of Governors Jeff Black, Executive Director Laura Gauld, and President of Hyde Schools Malcolm Gauld.

There were 57 Hyde-Woodstock 2010 graduates. They are: Amanda Adele Ashe, Caitlin Marie Barrett, Samuel Robinson Beaumont, Lisa Marie Bertschy, Kevin Edward Blanco, Blake Cochran Bohls, Jacqueline Bonadio , Grace McDonough Bottini , Alexandra Michele Budd, Alexis Elizabeth Burke, Shawn Patrick Campbell (Post Graduate), Hunter Carruthers , Tyler Nederlander Case , Nora Miranda-Hamer Curran (graduating with high honors), Colin Thomas Czarnecki , Simone Michelle DeAngelis, Ryan Michael Delaney , Katy Limoge Duchesneau, Allison Dubinsky , Erica Rachel Fagien, Brian George Fegan, Suzanne Dorothy Fornoff, Kyle Thomas Freitag , Ryan Thomas Giebel, Courtney Gill , Ari Gilfond Goldman, Ewart-Malik Sow Guinier, Timothy Forrest Hallenbeck , Alexander Henry Kent, Haruka Julia Koda, Justin Daniel Konda , Craig Louis Levine, Jake Alexander Lifson, Matthew Philip Lyon, Patrick Daniel Lyons , John Masland , Matthew Philip Mongada, Madeline Elizabeth Moritz, Sabrina Ashley Padro, Sean Sapin Peacock, Margaret Ann Regnery, Charles Dion Richardson, Zachary Evan Rosenbaum, Madeline Elizabeth Schley, Jacob Arthur Schuster, William Thomas Sobo, III, Jasmine Michelle Staley, Thomas Anthony Tarricone, Sarah Bethany Trager, Christopher Velez , Gage Michel Verronneau, Charles Henry Watson (Post Graduate), Simon Watson, Yaxian Xie, and Caitlin Ruth Yablonski. Also graduating academically were Alex Blumenthal and Sarah Kesselbrenner.

Senior Haruka Koda

Forty-nine graduates delivered speeches, continuing a time-honored Hyde tradition. Many shared hopes, dreams, and some of the life lessons they have learned. Tokyo, Japan native Haruka Koda noted, “True loving includes tough loving. I am loved here for my bluntness and deep concern for others.  I have grown to be a strong girl, now I must grow to be a strong woman.”

Craig Levine

Senior and Massachusetts resident Craig Levine recounted his Hyde education, saying “my basketball team won a league championship, I have shared my religion with the school, and I am proud of my parents and brother for believing in me.”

The closing speaker for the ceremony was Hyde-Woodstock receptionist and “voice of Hyde School” Susie Racine, who shared some wisdom from her mother: “We are all created equal and we have to work very hard to become successful in life. Always be truthful in what you say and do—the world isn’t just about you and what is important to you. Giving back is more important than getting—never be afraid to give back.”

The commencement ceremony concluded with Miley Cyrus’s The Climb, sung by Nora Curran and accompanied on piano by Suzanne Fornoff.

• 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

Sean Campbell ’10 set NE record in long jump.

Hyde Woodstock hosted the NEPSTA Division III Championship on Saturday, May 15^th.  Nineteen boy’s teams and sixteen girls teams attended the biggest meet of the season and Hyde CT’s guys and girls both had very respectable results with the boy’s tying Canterbury School for 7^th and the girls taking 10^th.   The boy’s had a comfortable 10 point lead on our sister school and rival Hyde School of Bath, ME, while the girls were edged out by 1 point.

Tim Hallenbeck ’10 set a personal record in the high hurdles at NEPSTA D3.

There were several standout performances from Hyde CT on both the guys and girls teams with the standout being Shawn Campbell (PG) who took home the gold in three events and set a NEPSTA DIII record in the long jump.  Shawn took first in the 100m, the 200m and the long jump, where his jump of 23′ 2″ surpassed the previous league record by 9″.  Shawn performance resulted in 30 of the teams 34 points.  The remaining four points were scored by Mac McGuire (2011) who took fourth in the pole vault with a personal record of 9′6″.  While only two athletes scored several others left everything they had on the track.  Kevin Blanco (2010) took 8^th place with a personal record of 2:14 in the 800m trailing just behind Zach Pfosi his Hyde ME rival.  Tim Hallenbeck (2010) set his PR in the 110m high hurdles.  Matt Wysocki fought hard to break down a wall and run under 5:00 in the 1500m but fell short but certainly not due to any lack of effort.  Ari Goldman (2010) threw a respectable 129′9″ to place 7^th in the javelin throw and jumped 38′10″ to place 8^th in the triple jump.  Dan Drayton (PG) ran his best of the season in the 400m at 53.99.  While Ewart Guinier (2010) had a rough time with the high jump clearing 5′6″ well below his best of 5′10″ his focus and his spirit was a great addition to his team’s performance.

Nora Curran ’10 won the women's high jump and set a school record at 8 feet.

On the girls end Nora Curran (2010) led the way by winning the pole vault with a personal best and new school record of 8′ scoring ten out of the teams 14 points.  The remaining four points were earned by Lexi Burke (2010) who took 4^th place in the shot with a throw of 28′11.5″ a personal record by more than a foot.  Other competitors put forth great efforts and attained personal records.  In the 400m, Simi DeAngelis (2010) ran a 1:08.76 while Lori Allen (2011) ran 14.88 in the 100m. Senior Caitlin Yablonski threw the javelin 57′ 9″.  These women represented the efforts of more than a dozen female athletes whose season had already concluded.

Hyde Woodstock looks forward to hosting the 2011 New England Championship in partnership with Chesire Academy.  Together both schools hope to continue the tradition of excellence and camaraderie started over twenty years ago.  See you next year!

]]> http://wolfpack.hyde.edu/2010/05/19/athletics/track-and-field/new-englands-2/feed/ http://wolfpack.hyde.edu/2010/05/18/news/hyde-weekly-58-514/ http://wolfpack.hyde.edu/2010/05/18/news/hyde-weekly-58-514/#comments Tue, 18 May 2010 12:43:04 +0000 admin http://wolfpack.hyde.edu/?p=3985 Bath Highlights:

• 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