• Effort in the Classroom- Hyde English teacher Kirstie Truluck will be a presenter this weekend at the national conference for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) in San Antonio, TX.  Truluck, and collaborator Susan Young, will share Hyde’s understanding about the implications of assessing attitude in their presentation titled Measuring What Matters Most: Learning Dispositions for Student Success.  “There is research out there to support what Hyde intuitively understands, so we will fuse our experiential knowledge with current educational research,” says Truluck.
• Senior Authors- Each of the senior English classes presented an anthology of their collective written work this week.  Complete with an original cover design, biographical information on each author, and reflections on their views on the writing process, each anthology includes an essay written by each senior.  The essays cover topics such as “Airport Customs” by Robert Outerbridge to the “Magic of Movies” by Idaho Ketcham to “Beautiful Brown” by Tierra Williams.
• Winter Athletic Recognition- As a community, we took time after exams had been completed to honor our efforts this winter on the court, the track, the mat, the dance floor and in the pool.  The dance team was showcased Thursday night as they performed fourteen original pieces for the school community.  While all of the dancers worked hard during the winter months, Erin Fonseca ‘10 received special recognition as the MVP of the dance team while Eddie Brewer ‘12, was honored as the MIP of the team.  The following is the list of the rest of the MIP and MVP honorees as well as notable accomplishments from post-season contests:

Swimming:

MVP - Won Ho Chang ‘10; MIP - Sophia Raftopoulos ‘12

The men’s swim team capped an outstanding season at the New England Championships last weekend.  Erik Peterson’11, James Frazier ‘11, Kevin Ou ‘11 and Won Ho Chang ‘10 took first place in the 200 yard freestyle relay with an outstanding time of 1:34.06.  Won Ho also set a meet and pool record in winning the 100 yard Butterfly with a time of 49.92.  The women’s swim team was led by Mariel Frost ‘10 who was the lone qualifier for the Class B Women’s State Swim Meet.  At the meet, Mariel lowered her seed time by 1.6 seconds in the 200 freestyle and had a personal best for the season in the event.

Wrestling:

Varsity                                                                        

MIP - Alex DeMarco ‘12

MVP - Nico Eceizabarrena Figueroa ‘10

Goodrich Award- Zoë Dorian ‘10

Junior Varsity

MIP - Barry Gao ‘11

MVP - Sol Melendy ‘10

A long wrestling season ended for most of the varsity wrestlers at the New England Championships.  In the end, Mike Ingalls ‘10 walked away with a hard fought 2^nd place in the 189 weight class.  At the All State Tournament for women wrestlers, Zoë Dorian ‘10 won her weight class, becoming a two-time state champion.

Another group of wrestlers wrapped up their season last weekend at the Junior Varsity New England Tournament.  Cody Vickery ‘10 came home a champion!  Other standouts at the tournament included Wonseo Huh ‘11 (2^nd place), Alex DeMarco ‘12 (2^nd place), Chip Wohlstetter ‘11 (2^nd place) as well as Barry Gao ‘11, Nat Abernethy ‘11, Ryan Sunshine ‘12, Richard Stites ‘11, Adair Dickerson ‘11 and Alex Biedermann ‘11, all of whom earned third place finishes.

Basketball:

Women’s Varsity:

MIP- Scout Gauld ‘10

MVP- Alyssa Thomas ‘11

Women’s JV:

MIP - Jane Miller ‘11

MVP- Aneth Batamuliza ‘11

While there was not any post-season action for the women’s varsity team, their late season win against Old Orchard Beach was, in the words of Athletic Director Peter Gregory, “The most inspirational contest I have seen all year.”

Men’s Varsity

MIP- Alex Needham ‘10

MVP- Ted Cercos ‘11

Men’s JV

MIP- Nero Chai ‘11

MVP-Ryan Connolly ‘11

The men’s varsity team made it to the state tournament in Augusta, winning their first round game, but not being able to get by top-seeded Richmond in the semifinals.  Their effort, composure, and teamwork on the court during those games inspired the entire school.

Indoor Track:

MVP - Hannah MacMillan ‘10; MIP - Robin Platte ‘10

While there is no league or regional championship to attend, the indoor track athletes can be proud with the many personal records attained by each of them during the course of the season, including Robin Platte ‘10 with a high jump best of 4 feet 8 inches and Kenton Powell ‘10, putting the shot a distance of forty-four feet.

Woodstock Highlights:

• Wolf Pack Blue Man Group - For years, Hyde Bath has been known for their outstanding fans at basketball games. This week, the Wolf Pack marked a new level of excellence in that category. A hearty band of brothers on the JV basketball team played an outstanding game against Deerfield Academy where they started off the contest down by 14 points and were 8 points ahead at the buzzer. It was one of the most exciting contests seen this year in the Hyde gym. After the JV game, that core group painted themselves blue and ran back into the gym to cheer on the varsity. It provided the inspiration to ignite the Wolf Pack and soon Will Sobo ‘10 created a drum out of an upside down bucket. Not to be outdone by the men, Ally Dubinsky ‘10 and Sarah Hafey ‘11 joined in to rally the troops. On Monday, the cheering continued as the varsity men took the SENE championships against St. Andrews. The Blue Man Group’s charter members include: Brian Sanz ‘11, Ben Lieber ‘12, Alex Pepino ‘11, Rudwan Bakhsh ‘11, Scott McNeil ‘11 and Mac McGuire ‘11. Go Wolf Pack!
• Hyde moment - Character has been defined as the actions one takes when no one is looking. This week, we were reminded of that and inspired by learning of one student’s actions when no one was watching. John Masland ‘10 was working hard to come back from some earlier struggles. At the JV New England wrestling tournament, he was in the final match to determine third place and was losing by one point. Events took a turn when his opponent was injured and unable to compete. Because of this, John won by default and John received the third place medal. Unbeknownst to any adults, John went up to his opponent and handed him his medal, acknowledging that it belonged to the other wrestler. Another senior witnessed this and shared it with the school saying, “I think this is the definition of a class act.”
• Term wrap-up - We have all worked hard this winter but this last week was all about the final push. Finals turned the campus into a beehive of study groups, papers and last minute project completions. Thursday night, the school gathered to share athletic awards for the semester. Athletic Director Sean Saucier congratulated the school on earning back the President’s Cup and developing a learning attitude which came from each obstacle. The following were the individual awards.

Basketball:

Women’s Varsity:

MVP - Haruka Koda ‘10

MVP - Margaret Ann Regnery ‘10

Women’s JV:

MIP - Caitlin Barrett ‘10

MIP - Laura Dosch ‘11

Men’s Varsity:

MVP - Dion Richardson ‘10

MIP - Michael Cannon ‘11

MIP - Jumah Sutton ‘11

Men’s JV:

MVP - Kyle Freitag ‘10

MVP - Noah Bell ‘11

Men’s 3rds

MVP - Scott Connolly ‘11

MIP - Matthew Williams ‘11

Wrestling:

Varsity:

MIP - Marcos Mercado ‘13

MIP - Jake Schuster ‘10

Junior Varsity:

MIP - Matthew Wysocki ‘13

MIP - Addison Wheat ‘11

Equestrian:

MVP - Katie Smith ‘12

MIP - Allie Budd ‘10

Drama:

MVP - Zach Rosenbaum ‘10

MVP - Nora Curran ‘10

Why does it take disaster to hear you cry?

Haiti I’m sorry it took someone to die

To be seen as something bigger than a stain on the map

And if it means something I will give back

Everything I took from a smile to laugh

Understand only half would be repaid

Because a life is something that can’t be remade

And if it remains the same

I promise I will raise

Awareness to change

Turning our back on our brothers and sisters

I will ask all the misses and misters

Why does it take disaster to hear you cry?

 - Chris Velez ‘10

Winter always presents an interesting conundrum-a long stretch until spring break, bleak weather, and seasonal affectedness disorder. Somehow, though, this winter went by faster than it did last year. Here’s why:

 1. A family education marathon: In January and February, I facilitated a sibling FLC, participated in a regional retreat, and helped co-facilitate a wilderness FLC. Through these three different programs, I not only gained a lot of perspective on myself, my goals, and where I’m headed, but also got a chance to grow closer to a number of families. It kept me busy on the weekends (which is a good thing when it’s cold, yucky, and I wasn’t coaching) and it gave me a chance to see a variety of people in action!

 2. Changing up the pace: I let my B period Spanish II class design their own project during this term for one of the vocabulary lessons in an effort to test out project-focused learning. It was neat to watch them become a more cohesive group as they worked together to create, complete, and grade the project. Personally, I felt that that was one of the best teaching moments I’ve had with them this year, and I’m hoping to continue to have them take the lead this spring.

 3. Endurance: I may not have seasonal affectedness disorder “technically,” but it sure feels that way when the sky is grey and gloomy, the temperature is much lower than I’d like it, and maybe there’s some snow to top it all off. Endurance came for me in the form of maintaining my personal well being despite my desire to curl up in a ball on my couch with my cats. For the first time, I think I actually managed to keep up my running through the whole winter. Whether it was the gym, braving the wild outdoors, and even a short jog in boots in Eustis, I was determined to keep it up because running centers me. As I told students at a school meeting, I run because it helps me to process my day and it helps me to continue to maintain my spirit. So that’s my motto-just keep running.

 This winter, I had more smiles on my face than frowns and I really enjoyed the trimester. As I look forward to the Habitat for Humanity trip next week, I’m psyched to get to give back to the community and to take the kids to a (hopefully) warmer climate in North Carolina. Bring it on spring break!

My memories of being a young teacher in my first or second year are hazy. I don’t fully recall what I taught or even who was in any given class. 1998 is different though in that I have some vivid memories of this collection of students. I should, I guess because they were “my class” as I taught all of the juniors when we opened the Woodstock campus in the fall of 1997. I cut my teeth on them and they survived somehow.

It was great hearing about “those kids” now. They are kids to me still - even as Dave shared news of his peers, I saw them in my English classroom trying to make sense of so much. Dave brought me up to speed on those who are married (Wagner, Lawten, Balin) and those who have kids (Donna, Berg & Coleman) and those who have moved around (Duryea and Dori). He didn’t even know about this blog until Megan told him (Hi McManaman!). Some have traveled around (Russell, Rogove, Kelly) in search of their callings. Others have disappeared from our view and we wondered aloud what has happened to them (Chris Cooper, Brandi Smith, O’Meara, Bixler, Barker). Many showed up for the ten year reunion in 2008. Others have returned in recent years to give their Diploma speeches (Fisher, Silberberg). Dave is not the first to have popped in. Robi Chakrabarti showed up here one day three years ago to marvel at the changes on campus and the years gone by. Shannon Curry has visited to speak to seniors about her experience and decision to repeat a year - a choice that helped propel her towards future degrees and a passionate career in medicine. I recalled a few memories of these students’ time here: playing chess with Don Thomas in my apartment; slide tackling the sinewy Cameron Rowe in soccer. Dave and I laughed about when he, at 17 years old, told me I’d been “spineless” - one of my most powerful lessons as a young teacher (and the topic for another blog).

I’ve thought of my first year teaching often. In it are the foundations of my passion for working with kids and families as well as numerous, invaluable lessons on what to do and what NOT to do!  It was a transformational year for me and watching this class graduate was one of the hooks that bonded me to Hyde. Spending time with Dave this past weekend was a treat amidst the hectic end-of-term schedule.

Hyde alumni sometimes have mixed emotions about their time here as those growing years are challenging. Dave and I also spoke about this. I am reminded however, as was he, that Hyde is also a place and a community, of great hope, significant change, and powerful learning. To the Class of 1998, I hope this finds you fulfilled, healthy, and growing. Come back some time soon.

Best, John

• Preparation for becoming a senior - On Saturday the junior class met with Hyde President Malcolm Gauld who spoke to the group about delayed gratification, choosing to do what you need to do versus what you want to do, and the concept of being a “big fish in a little pond.”  The meeting was part of the Senior Prep Process in which all juniors are engaged to become members of the Class of 2011.  Students also began defining their standards of personal excellence, evaluating their commitment to graduating from Hyde, and deliberating on their choice of a faculty or senior sponsor to support them through the Senior Prep Process.
• Public speaking in practice - The first of a two-part exam began yesterday with self- chosen soliloquies, in which bits of Shakespeare’s Othello, Shaw’s Pygmalion and an original piece by Cody Vickery ‘10 were among the works presented in the Mansion.  On Friday night, these same students will perform at the Cultural Heritage Performance.  Students and faculty will sing, dance and perform pieces that reflect their cultural heritage.  A special guest performance will be provided by the Lotus Dance Troupe, from The Chinese American Friendship Association of Maine, as part of the grand finale.
• Highlights and big dreams - The school meeting this week began with a focus on personal highlights we have had this term, some of which included doing well on an Advanced Biology test, productive FLC weekends with parents and peak performances in an athletic event.  Next we moved to our biggest dreams for our lives.  Students talked about wanting to run a green company to help save the planet, become an elementary school teacher, a National Geographic photographer, work with animals in Africa, and become a mother.  We wrapped up the meeting with a discussion about the tension between the energy and enthusiasm we can feel about our dreams and visions and the smaller steps and daily work it takes to make progress towards those dreams.

COOL LINKS: Malcolm’s Trip to Asia | Hyde-Woodstock on NBC CT | PSSST…Spread the Word About Hyde | Junior Bernal Gets Props | Family Weekend X for Siblings

Woodstock Highlights:

• Bravo! - The Hyde Varsity Drama Team capped off another excellent winter with their production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance led by Director Meara Palmer-Young. With a packed house of students and FLC goers on Friday and a new crop of family members on Saturday, the squad was able to delight all who came with outstanding vocal numbers, well choreographed dance pieces, and exceptional acting. The cast, guided by leads Zach Rosenbaum ‘10, Nora Curran ‘10, Gage Verronneau ‘10, Madeline Moritz ‘10, Adam Ben-Hanania ‘11, and Tim Hallenbeck ‘10 did a phenomenal job as the leaders of softhearted pirates, cowardly police officers, and upstanding citizens of the British higher class. Great job to the rest of the cast and crew and a special thanks to Will Cutrer.
• Hyde seniors - The last few weeks have been important for the seniors who have struggled with courage and integrity. This week, five seniors from Bath came for a visit to share strengths and challenges with the leadership process. Thanks to Scout Gauld, Maeve O’Sullivan, Dexter Jenks, Kurt Chessman and Robin Platte for taking a huge step to unify the Hyde senior year.
• Wish upon a Star - In the school meeting, faculty members dressed up in outfits and props to symbolize a childhood dream, goal, significant failure and life lessons. Many stood and shared their deep feelings about each outfit. As senior Dan Drayton said, “This has been an important meeting. We all have a purpose on this earth and the faculty has inspired us with what they shared.”
• Don’t count Hyde out - Two examples happened this week to highlight the Hyde toughness. The men’s varsity basketball team found themselves down in the second half of tournament play and fought their way back. Mike Cannon ‘11 had 19 points while Chris Velez ‘10, Dion Richardson ‘10 and Ewart Guinier ‘10 played instrumental roles as senior leaders and made big plays down the stretch. Assistant coach Sean Kelly said, “It was one of the best high school games I’ve seen in a long time.” Varsity wrestlers showed similar grit at the SENE Tournament where they almost beat two tough opponents in two nail-biting matches. Coach Jenkins said, “It comes down to those moments when you know deep down that you didn’t quit and these guys never quit.” LDG/DM

COOL LINKS: Malcolm’s Trip to Asia | Hyde-Woodstock on NBC CT | PSSST…Spread the Word About Hyde | Nora Curran Flexes Her Pipes | Family Weekend X for Siblings

I want to nominate Chuck Watson.  I cannot say enough about this young man’s commitment to his best as an athlete.  It’s truly a character trait that is so rare and wonderful to watch, coach, and to be a part of.  What amazes me even more than his athleticism is his willingness to step into an uncomfortable situation and try and make the best out of it, as well as learning something about himself in the process. Chucky’s performance in the play probably won’t win him any acting jobs in Hollywood anytime soon, but he did show the community someone who is willing to put himself out there, make himself uncomfortable, and have fun.

Simon is a true inspiration to everyone around him. Almost every day for the past two weeks, I have seen him taking leadership and working hard to regain his Senior-ship. His dedication to this is absolutely astounding and truly shows the true content of his character.  He is definitely a star to me.

I would like to nominate Ryan Delaney and Tucker Mara. They came into my office with a concern for a student and set up a meeting. They worked hard to help this student with both support and challenge. It was inspiring to see brother’s keeper being played out in such a personal way.

I nominate Gabe Durand for coming to a new wing and immediately stepping up and taking leadership. It shows a lot of character as well as how far he has come. He is a model of what a Hyde senior should be and sets the standard high for underclassmen to meet.

Mac McGuire taught his Honors Chemistry class about Electrochemistry on Monday. Despite having a tough and complex topic that was not his first choice, Mac put in a ton of work. He taught for the entire period, answered everyone’s questions, was prepared with diagrams and explanations, and did an overall excellent job.

Nothing can describe my pride as a coach as we left the SENE’s on Wednesday night.  We went in an underdog team against a team we had lost to already, and a team ranked fairly well in the conference, and almost left with a banner.  The tenacity and perseverance I saw that day was incredible.  All wrestlers fought off their backs, forced their opponents into decisions and made some solid pins resulting in both matches being decided by a single bout.  We nearly won the SENE title and I know in a year, we will continue to grow as a team.  A ref who had been the official at earlier matches for us stated, “These guys have really come a long way, they looked great out there today!”  This comment made my season and is what keeps me coaching and teaching at Hyde.  Congrats men!—Wes Jenkins

On Saturday the Boys JV Wolfpack played against Deerfield in their last game of the season.  In the first half, things were looking grim for the Wolfpack, and Deerfield quickly took the lead, 23-7.  After a timeout and an inspirational speech from coach Saucier, Hyde came back out with a completely new attitude, and went on a 13-3 run to end the half only down by 6, 20-26.  In the second half Hyde continued taking over, and tied the game back up. The fans really inspired the players, cheering their hearts out.  Our JV team took over in the second half and never looked back.  The final score of the JV game was Hyde 58, Deerfield 49.

Everybody on the team played with hustle after a slow start.   Derek Kubitz ’11 came out strong in the second half, scoring all of his 11 points, showing great hustle, and never giving up.  Brian Sanz ’11 ended the season on a great note, fouling out to continue the tradition, but scoring 8 points.  Evan Dienstag ’11 showed great toughness, getting boards left and right, and scored 12 points.  Giovanni Capri ’11 played great on the offensive end, scoring 13 points.  To all the seniors on the team great season, and it was great playing with everyone.

Down by 13 points midway through the second half, Hyde persevered and received help from numerous sources. Dion Richardson ‘10 (14 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds) and Mike Cannon ‘11 (19 points, 15 rebounds) led the second-half charge, however, their efforts were not outdone by Chris Velez ‘10 (14 points, 3 assists), Nas Ibrahim ‘12 (12 points), and the defensive prowess of Ewart Guinier ‘10 (6 rebounds, 3 steals).

With the win the Wolfpack solidified sole possession of first place in the SENE conference tournament, which gives them a bye for the first round of the playoffs. Their next game will be Saturday at 3:30pm against the winner over St. Thomas More and Falmouth.

NBC-Connecticut anchor Brad Drazen wanted to find out more about Hyde School after interviewing Laura and Malcolm Gauld about parenting. So…he came to Hyde-Woodstock, he saw and listened, and now he tells the story in the segment, “A School to Shape Character as Well as Mind.”

Hyde, winners of three in a row, finished the contest with a 62-41 victory over St. Thomas More in the semi-final round of the SENE tournament. Key contributions for the evening were - Richardson (16 points, 6-11 FG, 4-6 3FG, 6 rebounds, 6 assists), Mike Cannon ‘11 (11 rebounds), and Jumah Sutton (9 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists).

The Wolf Pack return to action Monday in the SENE Finals against St. Andrews at Krebs Gymnasium in Woodstock. Game time is set for 4pm.