september 1791 letter

11791 Letter ~ September 2009

September 2009

Tenth Day Assembly

2 1791 Letter ~ September 2009

I have discovered new empathy

for parents on the fi rst day of school.

As educators, fi rst days of school have

always signifi ed energy, life, enthusiasm,

and meaning. We have chosen a life of

working with students because we love

the exquisite wackiness of kids of all

ages. Our students keep us challenged;

they keep us inspired. They keep us

young. This is the fi rst year when my

own child, Kenna, headed off to her

fi rst school experience. It is a program

for two-year-olds for three half days,

but it is the fi rst time in our family

that she has been away from home in

a regular, structured way. Thus far she

has been raised in the Hayes House,

enveloped by the enriching umbrella

of Berwick Academy, but her world has

suddenly grown exponentially. In the

few weeks heading up to her fi rst day,

I found myself wondering about all of

the things I have experienced with her

in the past two years: What will she do

in school? Will she be scared? Lonely?

Will she act out when we are not there?

Have I been doing enough as a parent

to prepare her?

It has felt ironic acknowledging

these feelings, since for years as a

Director of Admission and Head of

School, I have encouraged people not

to worry, that their kids are resilient,

and that everything will be just fi ne. Of

course, I know intellectually that all of

that is true, but now I appreciate the

layer of emotion that is inextricably

woven between the professional

educator and the well meaning but, in

my case, slightly anxious parent. I get it

now. In the end, here is what ultimately

gave me the most confi dence in my

own child’s situation on her fi rst day of

school: her teachers are exceptional.

They are professionals, and they have

dealt with thousands of children the

age of my daughter. I have come to

embrace the fact that they defi nitely

know more about children Kenna’s age

than I do. This is a good thing. While

I may know a bit more about running

a school, coaching a football team,

or playing the saxophone, I am fairly

safe in admitting that I may not be a

great toddler teacher at this moment.

Their expertise gives me a great sense

of confi dence, anticipation, and joy

for my child’s experience at her new

school.

As our fi rst week of school

rolls on at Berwick, I share this little

confession with you to remind you

that Berwick teachers are extraordinary

people. Not only do they love your

children in their own ways, but they

have wisdom about children that

represents an incredible resource in

raising your own boy or girl into the

wonderful man or woman that they

will ultimately become. As parents,

we can’t do it alone, and I am grateful

to have a new resource to add to our

family as we work to raise the happiest

children we possibly can. Know that as

a Berwick parent, you draw upon the

strength of an entire community of

these exceptional educators who can

help you along a thirteen year journey

of preparing your child for a happy and

rewarding life.

While my sense of empathy

has clearly grown, my zeal for fi rst days

of school remains unchanged. Bring on

the giggling, the creativity, and the

joy: the kids are back.

I have mercifully spared you a

longer entry this month, as I wanted to

include a message from the family of a

great mentor and wise friend. As many

of you know, Hap Ridgway suffered

a signifi cant fall from a horse at his

ranch this summer, which led to some

substantial injuries. I have learned a

great deal from my predecessor during

my fi rst two years at Berwick, but no

lessons have been more infl uential

than his model of integrity and his

various examples of courage. Hap

and Susan graciously wanted to offer

the following words of thanks to the

Berwick Community for all of the

collective support during the past few

months:

The caring of the Berwick community had always been a thing of pride and wonder for the Ridgway family. Time after time after time, we saw the community rise to the occasion of a person or family’s loss or challenge. As we retired to Wyoming, we worried we were also leaving behind that strong sense of community with its tradition of support. The summer of 2009 has taught us a remarkable lesson about the reach and power of the Berwick Community.

Late in June, Hap was working with a young horse when it reared up and went over on him. Fractured pelvis and fractured jaw, emergency room and life fl ight, surgery and ICU were the reality of the next few days. Family and friends “circled the wagons,” but our numbers were small and the circumstances were daunting.Then a remarkable thing happened. It started at fi rst with a few cards and grew into a deluge of cards and letters and gifts and calls from members of the Berwick community. What we had known objectively about the caring of Berwick we now learned personally. All of the expressions of concern and support, and even the quips about the idea of “staying on the horse,” were and continue to be a powerful balm.

The horse clearly won this round, but Hap is recovering gradually. He has stashed


the crutches and is starting to get back into the fi elds to work. His jaw, despite the good doctor’s handiwork, is more problematic, but his family still appreciates the enforced silence of his wired jaw. He has had many good lessons in humility such as fi guring out the crutches while Susan kept a death grip on his belt and learning how to drink without too much dribbling or slurping.

When this story is fi nally written, the Berwick tradition of caring and its reach across the country and back in time will have the place of honor. The Ridgway family is incredibly grateful for the support and all that it meant during the travails of Hap’s recovery. In ways hard to express, being Berwickians has never meant more.

BAPA Projects Add New Life to Campus I am so thrilled to thank our

Parents organization for the incredible

power of their gifts to the school last

year. In addition to funding a budget

fi lled with enriching activities for our

students, funding from the Auction

helped us fully repair the Commons

roof, which will certainly make me

sleep more easily this winter. In

addition, Auction benefi ciary funds

have funded incredible new furniture

in the Upper School, literacy and

playground materials in the Lower

School, and wonderful new landscaping

for Clement Middle School. We are

so lucky to have such an incredibly

supportive group of parents partnering

with us at Berwick.

New Communication System I am pleased to announce that

we were able to install a campus-wide

communication system this summer,

which represents a monumental step

in increasing our campus safety in the

event of an emergency. All classrooms

and common spaces are now equipped

with a speaker system that will allow

for emergency communication as

needed. This allows us to continue

the exceptional work of our Safety

Committee from the past two years, as

we work towards refi ning our Fire Drills

(evacuation), Safe in Place (lockdown),

and Reverse Evacuation (getting

students into the buildings quickly)

procedures. Given the complexity of

our campus, this tool truly helps make

our campus a safer place for children.

Blue and White Meets Alumni Weekend We have combined our Alumni

Weekend gathering with Blue and

White weekend this fall. The festivities

will start with our annual Bulldog

Golf Tournament at The Ledges on

September 24, and events will fi ll up

the entire weekend. By moving these

alumni events to the fall, we hope to

drive better attendance (and hopefully

better weather). I hope that the entire

community will come out on the

weekend of September 26, fi lling the

weekend with many generations of

Bulldog passion and spirit.

H1N1 Update As fl u season will be upon us

shortly, please know that the CDC is

recommending that all school-aged

children receive seasonal fl u vaccines.

The fi rst generation of H1N1 vaccine

should be available in mid October,

but may require multiple visits. Please

check our new webpage regarding

H1N1 preventative measures at

Berwick at www.berwickacademy.

org, under Community. Information

regarding local vaccination locations

has also been included on this site.

Driving on Campus With a sudden surge of cars

on campus, I wanted to remind the

community to please use extra caution

when driving on campus. Having so

many small children on this campus,

and being situated in a residential

neighborhood, makes this such a

critical issue for our parent and student

drivers.

BERWICK ACADEMY

CAMPUS STORE

SHOPSHOP

ONLINE!ONLINE!

Offering a selection of products

from the school store including

sweatshirts, hats, mugs, and more.

Log on to www.berwickacademy.org and click on Community to fi nd

the Berwick Store


Peter Saliba

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Dear Parents;

Getting off on the right foot

at the beginning of the school year

is one of the toughest tasks I face as

the Upper School Director. Since

we are an academic institution, I

could probably get away with our

Mission (promoting virtue and useful

knowledge); our Core Values (balance,

integrity, engagement, excellence);

or even our Latin motto (Humility is

the Beginning of Wisdom); however,

knowing teenagers, I am convinced

that should I take any of these options,

their eyes would glaze over in a matter

of seconds. Instead, I settled on a more

practical approach. This year, we will

work hard, play hard and have fun.

Berwick is not an easy place,

especially if you are new to our school.

These challenges can be academic,

social, athletic, and artistic. They

may come in the form of learning the

periodic table for chemistry, mastering

derivatives in calculus, or understanding

the nuances of the Constitutional

Convention. No matter the challenge,

we expect everyone to work hard and

to meet challenges head-on. This

is easier said than done, and it is the

efforts of our students that enable them

to ultimately succeed in their work

and life. In a high school, everybody

experiences frustrations and obstacles,

and overcoming these challenges

defi nes our success. Examples abound

in our culture of people overcoming

signifi cant roadblocks, including

the Beatles who could not get a gig

in Liverpool. They had to travel

to Hamburg, Germany, to get the

opportunity to play. They eventually

worked through their challenge in

Germany by playing 106 consecutive

nights, for more than six hours a

night.

Playing hard is just as important

as working hard. Some may interpret

this as fostering a competitive, driven

spirit on the athletic fi eld or stage. I

interpret this as knowing how to

play. We should know when to be

competitive, and when to relax and

enjoy the moment. When I get on the

rink with my team at practice, I go into

the corners pretty hard, and move the

puck with a snap of the stick. But I also

know how to enjoy the game and the

camaraderie of being on a team. Most

successful people have mastered the

art of playing not only because it is

enjoyable, but because it keeps them

balanced.

Finally, having fun is about

experiencing unfi ltered joy. Sometimes

it comes with success, or humor, but

often it is simply recognizing the

beauty of the events unfolding around

us. This can be a quiet moment in a

practice room or art studio, a reaction

to a friend’s comment, or a discovery

that Latin can actually be entertaining

(seriously, it is!) No matter the cause,

we should let that fun out and share it.

Working with high school

students requires a lot of work, but we

also play and have fun. It’s my hope

that all of us can experience these

things together as we navigate through

the year.

Warmly,


This academic year closes

the fi rst decade of the twenty-fi rst

century, and everywhere I look in

professional groups and their postings,

there is discussion of the skills our

students need in order to create

meaningful lives and work in the next

nine decades. We may take time to

refl ect upon our experiences, but quite

honestly, just a few of the skills that

were critical in our lives as students are

needed in the future. The corpus of

knowledge alone demands more skill

than memorization; more judgment

than ownership of ideas. Yes, the three

R’s of our twentieth century education

will be essential, but to them we must

add new R’s such as resourcefulness,

research, and resilience.

I come from a generation of

folks who were told, “Children should

be seen and not heard.” That adage

worked at a time when extended families

came together for Sunday dinners, for

holidays, and for those rare occasions

when a family member who “moved

away” was returning for a rare visit. We

had a “kids’ table” in each home’s dining

room. We minded our table manners

and asked permission to be excused

from the table. Misbehaviors were

quelled by a look from one of the adults,

and each of us longed for the day when

we could sit at the grown-ups’ table,

even though we cousins shared much

hilarity amongst ourselves. Today, we

bring our children into the world of

adult conversation and comportment

from the earliest years, and we expect

our children to engage in weighty

topics of current events, social reforms,

and politics. Better still, we educate

our children to bring information

they have acquired at school to the

discussions. Today’s adolescents think

in grown-up ways that I only imagined

when I was an early teen.

Another limit placed upon

many of my generation was, “When I

want you to have an opinion, I’ll give

it to you.” As a child, as an adolescent,

and later as a young adult, I chafed

against this imposition of authority

more than any other restriction. I

held forth with passionate arguments

in front of the bathroom mirror, or

in the privacy of my room after I had

read every bit of news I could locate in

our public library. While my parents

were from the “Greatest Generation,”

my generation was unwilling to swear

blind faith to policies and canons. Our

children need to be better informed

than we former campus radicals ever

were. Here is where our jobs as

educators will fi nd the fi nest hours - in

the guiding of minds that will critically

evaluate the challenges facing our

changing planet.

Perhaps the single most

important skill our children will

develop is that of critical thinking.

They will fi nd ample opportunities this

year to investigate, to weigh ideas, and

to suspend judgment until they have

fi nished their investigations. With

access that far exceeds the physical

walls of a library, today’s students

may learn about global crises and the

histories that connect them. They

will bring a wealth of home values

to their discussions, and will build

informed opinions that may wend

their way to the dinner table. We walk

a delicate path with the students as

we examine the differences between

ideas and ideologies. As educators,

we are committed to creating a neutral

environment in the classroom, fully

aware that the world beyond our

doors is marked by increasing polarity

and propaganda. Immediate access

to sources of information helps our

students to distill ideas with increasing

awareness of the spin the media use to

distribute the news.

Our best efforts, then, are

aimed to open the doors to the

investigation of ideas. We will hold

our students to high standards of logic,

of informed decision making, and of

documentation to support their theses.

We will probe, suggest alternatives,

and praise. All this will be done with a

dedication to provide them with access

to trustworthy data. These future

thinkers, policy makers, and innovators

will face the next several decades

armed with experiences that will guide

them in making choices and decisions

about their global neighborhood. By

then, I hope that each of us, educator

and parent alike, will be proud of the

ways in which our hands and minds

and hearts created opportunities for

critical thinking to rise to an apex in

the halls of educational institutions like

ours at Berwick Academy.


Rather than sleeping in on

my fi rst Saturday morning of the new

school year, I awoke early and drove to

Spring Hill to watch the Pumpkinman

Sprint Triathlon. With cool weather

and rain holding off for the moment,

the conditions supported the swim,

bike and run stages of this annual

South Berwick event. While not

considered the optimal spectator sport

for logistical reasons, I enjoy watching

the challenge inherent in this sport

(and I stress watching, as I have not yet

reached my goal of participating in a

triathlon.)

While the triathlon’s challenges

are still unknown to me, I have run

a number of marathons and half

marathons and therefore appreciate

the support one can receive from fans

along the course as they greet the

competition. And so it was that during

the race, I lined up at strategic points

to support my wife, friends, colleagues

and many unknown participants as they

pushed through the triathlon’s stages.

Early in the race, such as the

transition from the swim to the bike, I

found myself giving basic cheers, such

as “come on, you can do it.” (Okay,

you knew it was coming; please bear

with me as I attempt to connect my

spectator experience at the triathlon to

the beginning of the school year.) In a

sense, it reminded me of the month of

September with our students—a time

when I am just beginning to get to

know or reconnect with them through

introductory forms of encouragement.

As the school year moves into full form,

I pick up the pace with the students—

understanding them (and cheering

them on) at a deeper level. As a faculty,

we appreciate our students’ strengths

and weaknesses; what they do well

and what they are working to improve

upon. I essentially experienced that

same connection during the successive

stages of the triathlon, as I cheered on

the participants at a more intimate and

personal level as the race progressed

and as their training and willpower

sustained them through their fi nal

strides.

I occasionally joke that a

school year feels like a marathon race

or even a marathon in which we run at

a sprinters’ pace. Regardless of distance

or timing, I take on many roles as Lower

School Director. One that I fi nd both

rewarding and intriguing is the support

I give to our students—supporting

them throughout their Lower School

experience.

As we are currently in the

opening stage of the new school year,

the faculty and I are working actively to

get to know our students. Whether it

be the student-focus meetings we hold

prior to the opening of school, the

reading fl uency monitor measures that

we administer in the fi rst few weeks of

school or our new student introductions

at our fi rst morning assembly, we take

this phase of the school year seriously.

At the time of publication for this

September 1791 Letter, our fi rst, second,

and third graders will have completed

their fi rst fi eld trip—one that brought

them to Strawbery Banke to build fairy

houses for the Portsmouth Fairy House

Tour. In planning this trip with Lower

School faculty and the Strawbery Banke

staff, I felt it important to capture the

moment inherent in participating in this

creative event. The fi eld trip involved

students collecting natural materials

and then using their imaginations

while working collaboratively to create

houses made of materials such as wood,

grass and leaves. Besides an enjoyable

learning experience, we also saw this

as an opportunity to be of service

and support to this family-oriented

venture.

While the fi rst through third

graders were hard at work at Strawbery

Banke, we felt it important to leave

our kindergarten students at school to

continue their fi ne work in establishing

their own learning community with

Ms. Williams and Mrs. Lynch. What

a great start to the school year our

kindergarten class has enjoyed!

Finally, on the day that many

of our Lower School students were off

campus, the fourth graders remained at

school to participate in their Leadership

Day. They worked with the Sweetser

staff and with our own faculty on

various initiatives which would support

their role as informal Lower School

leaders throughout the year and more

specifi cally as formal Lower School

leaders in the Ambassadors Program

(helping out at recess and other

organized activities).

I trust that the events of the

fi rst few weeks of school—including

those on September 17, have helped

our students successfully begin the

new year. I look forward to supporting

them through this period and other

phases in the months ahead!


Rob Quinn

SOCCER JAMBOREE

The weather was not on

our side on Saturday, September 12

during our annual Soccer Jamboree

as it rained most of the day. Both the

boys’ and girls’ varsity teams competed

against Lexington Christian Academy,

Proctor Academy, and Hyde School in

the preseason scrimmage. The event

was well attended by parents, families

and friends. Following the games, we

were treated to an impressive barbeque

sponsored by the Berwick Academy

Athletic Boosters. A special thank you

Kim and Tom Mills, Steve Grenier, Jim

and Diane Wheeler, Paula and Sam

Reid, Andy Lathrop, Marilena Canuto,

and Holly Bennett (I apologize if I

have failed to mention others). Your

work and dedication made the event

a success. I also want to thank SAGE

Dining Services for providing the food

and Facilities for the set-up and break-

down. A special thank you to Paul

Calo of Buildings and Grounds for his

assistance on Saturday.

SPORTS MEDICINE

CONCUSSION PROGRAM

We are continuing our Impact Testing

Program which we have successfully

used with our contact sport athletes.

This computer program is designed

to address the seriousness and dangers

of returning to play too quickly after

a concussion. This year we will test

all freshmen, new students and other

students not previously tested. At

the start of the season, athletes will

complete a computerized baseline test

of the brain. If an athlete receives a brain

injury, he or she is retested to see how

their brain function compares to the

stored baseline test. Test results allow

a medical practitioner to determine if

the brain is recovering from an injury

and dictate if the student is ready to

return to play. If you have questions

please contact Holly Bennett, LATC or

Rob Quinn.

EEE VIRUS

Each year this mosquito born

virus is a concern in the Seacoast area.

The woods surrounding the fi elds have

been professionally sprayed using a safe

“green” solution in order to minimize

the mosquitoes. Teams will be supplied

with a mosquito repellent and athletes

are encouraged to use a repellent for

practices and games.

AED AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL

DEFIBRILLATORS

AED’s are located in the

basement of Fogg, near the mailboxes

in Burleigh Davidson, and in the back

hallway of the athletic center. Holly

Bennet, LATC also carries a unit at all

games. All faculty coaches are currently

certifi ed in CPR and AED.

ATHLETIC TRAINING INTERNS

BA continues its relationship with

UNH and UNE as a clinical athletic

training site for undergraduate students.

You will see Jennifer and Becky

alongside Certifi ed Athletic Trainer

Holly Bennett at games and practices

this semester. Jennifer and Becky

will assist in providing fi rst-aid care

and will oversee injury rehabilitation

programs. Both have experience in

covering collegiate and high school

sports and are welcome additions to

the department.

OFF THE HILLTOP

We received some exciting

athletic achievement news from the

summer we wanted to share with

everyone. Our very own Chris Atwood,

grade 12, a standout three-sport athlete

for BA, where he plays golf, ice hockey

and lacrosse for the Bulldogs. During

the summers, Chris works at the

Rochester Country Club helping with

the daily operations of the golf course.

He is a junior member at the club and

plays often between shifts at work.

Chris was also very active this summer

playing in various golf tournaments

working on his game. He thought he

would try his luck in the Rochester

Club Championship. The Tournament

kicked off in late July with a 2-day

stroke play qualifi er. For the next three

weeks Chris managed to knock off one

veteran member after another until

he was facing the #2 seed in the fi nal

championship match. His opponent

had multiple club championships to

his name and the cards were stacked

against our guy. Chris went on to win

the Club Championship on the 36th

hole of the match; he had a stellar

performance that included an eagle

down the stretch. Chris became the

youngest winner in Rochester Club

Championship history. He was back

at the club the next day cleaning golf

carts and savoring the victory among

the club members.

We had more impressive news

coming from senior Melissa Beckett,

who has started a very successful show

continued on pg. 14...


you gotta have Arts

continued on pg 14...

ARTS BOOSTERS

Arts Boosters Variety Show Please mark your calendars

for Friday, October 16, for the eighth

annual Arts Boosters Variety Show.

The proceeds from this event will

benefi t the visual and performing arts

at Berwick Academy. Faculty and

staff members representing all three

divisions will present their performance

piece in the theater beginning at 7

p.m. Please come and enjoy a night

fi lled with song, laughter, comedy

and maybe a little magic in the fall air.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for

students or $25 for families. There are

no reservations, and admission is on a

fi rst-come-fi rst-served basis. We hope

to see you there.

DANCE

Let the Dance Begin The Berwick Academy dance

program is starting the year off with

a bang! Classes have started and the

dancers are feeling the challenge and

excitement of a new year. Steady growth

in enrollment has allowed us to add

a third level of ballet to the program,

so we can better suit our increasingly

more advanced dancers. We are pleased

to welcome back returning members of

the faculty: Christine Bessette, Tina

Cassidy, Gina Hesse, Joy Turner and

Sasha Randall. All faculty members

are working professionals in their

disciplines and we are honored to have

such an esteemed group leading our

young movers. Classes began September

14, and the dancers have a fantastic,

enthusiastic energy. If you have not yet

registered for classes and are interested

in observing or experiencing a class on

a trial basis, please feel free to come by

and see all of the wonderful classes that

are offered.

The summer was an eventful

one in the world of dance for BA

Dance Director, Sasha Randall. In

continuing her efforts to bring dance

to New England communities in a

manner that is both accessible and

innovative, she found herself working

with a number of powerhouses in

government and the fi eld of dance.

After completing two very enjoyable

weeks of camp here on the Hilltop,

Ms. Randall found herself immediately

immersed in consultation and technical

direction of Live and Dance Strong, a

benefi t concert in honor of, Richard

Randall, past President of University of

Maine, Augusta who died last year of

esophageal cancer. The benefi t raised

an astounding $10,000 for the Harold

Alfond Cancer Care Center in Augusta

and the performance was a deeply

moving success.

Ms. Randall’s efforts to expand

the dance initiative throughout New

England continued with discussions

and planning conferences with the

Maine Department of Education,

the Maine Arts Commission and the

Maine Alliance for Arts Education.

Goals for integrating dance residencies

into 300 public schools were discussed

and timelines for implementation

were confi rmed, with 2010 as the

start-up year for this ground-breaking

program. Conversations continued

throughout the summer, culminating

with a luncheon meeting at Bearnstow

on Parker Pond in Mt. Vernon, Maine.

Bearnstow is a 65-acre dance artist

retreat directed by internationally

acclaimed choreographer Bebe Miller.

Ms. Randall had the opportunity

during this time to work closely with

many forces of nature in the dance

fi eld, including Bebe Miller, Laura Faure

(Bates Dance Festival Founder and

director) and Pilobolus Founder Alison

Chase. If you are interested in learning

more about the initiative to expand

the dance map in New England, please

contact Sasha Randall.

For more information on the dance

program contact Sasha Randall at

[email protected]

MUSIC

After School Opportunity Band Director Stephanie

Sanders is offering Musicianship as

one way to fulfi ll the Upper School

seasonal after-school requirement.

This activity is open to all Upper

School students in grades 9 - 12 and

meets three afternoons each week by

the athletic season schedule.

Please remember that a music

student must be a member of one

of Berwick’s performing groups to

audition for District I or All State music

festivals. If they cannot fi t a traditional

music course into their course schedule

during the school day, Musicianship

would satisfy this festival requirement.

This opportunity in the performing arts

is not for academic credit, however,

membership in this activity will appear

on each student’s individual activity

sheet.

Stephanie Sanders will also

continue to teach the Middle School

Jazz Band after school on Tuesday

afternoon. Anyone interested in

participating in any of these ensembles


continued...

PRESIDENT’S NOTES

We want to welcome everyone

back to the Hill and thank all the

parents who were able to attend the

parent coffee on the porch the fi rst

day of school. It was great to see so

many new and familiar faces. I want to

inform new parents that there are many

ways to keep up with school and BAPA

events and information. Remember to

look in the division weeklies, the 1791 letter, the Berwick Academy portal, and

your very important school calendar.

All BAPA events are on the calendar

and will be updated on the portal. Also

we want all new parents to feel free to

ask any questions they may have. This

is a busy time of year and we know

navigating the fi rst weeks of school can

be tricky and we are here to help make

this time easier.

Volunteering The many terrifi c events at

Berwick require parents to help make

them happen. Volunteering can be

such a rewarding experience. Parents

not only get the benefi t of meeting

other parents they may otherwise

not get a chance to meet, they

also know they have helped their

children’s school. Feel free to talk to

your division coordinators to fi nd out

where there are volunteering needs.

Class representatives are needed in all

grades K-12, so please consider the

position. A description of class rep

duties is listed in the BAPA section on

the portal. To fi nd them, log on to the

website and click on “Parent Portal”

in the left hand column. Scroll down

until you see BAPA Downloads. Click

on the + and in the resulting list you

will see a document entitled: BAPA

Class Representative Duties.” Click on

that link and the document will open

for you.

September 28 at 8:15 a.m. BAPA

will hold a General Meeting in the

Commons Lounge with class rep

meetings to follow

Please join us Monday morning on

September 28 for our fi rst BAPA meeting

of the year. We will start off with

refreshments and then Jedd Whitlock,

our new Director of Advancement, will

be on-hand to introduce himself and let

us know what is going on in the Alumni

and Development Offi ce. We will also

have updates from Board members

and sign-ups for various volunteer

positions. Following the meeting we

will break into divisions for class rep

meetings. This is a great opportunity

to sit in on a meeting to see if being

a class rep may interest you. During

the meeting, please feel free to ask any

questions regarding the position. We

look forward to seeing you there.

Questions or Suggestions? We are always looking for

new ideas and suggestions, so please

feel free to contact us. Talk to a BAPA

Board member or class rep while on

campus or send us an email. We would

love feedback from our members.

Jean K. Jarvis

BAPA President

LOWER SCHOOL NEWS

A warm welcome or welcome back to

all Berwick families! Hopefully you had

a wonderful, relaxing summer! Thank

you to all of the families who hosted

back-to-school socials; they were a

huge hit and helped kids and parents

reconnect and get ready to start the

new school year.

It has been a great fi rst week

watching the Lower School students

explore their new classrooms and

eagerly meet up with teachers and

friends. Looks like we are off to a great

school year!

Please check out the BAPA

bulletin board to the left of the stairway

as you enter the Lower School. We will

be keeping this bulletin board updated

with contact information, upcoming

events, and volunteer opportunities.

We will also be posting a copy of the

information on the bulletin board to

the portal.

The fi rst BAPA meeting is on

Monday September 28th at 8:15 AM

in the Commons. If you are interested

in volunteering in some way, becoming

a class representative, or learning about

BAPA, please attend this meeting! We

would love to see you there and can

always use more helping hands!

September is a busy month! Here are

some dates to keep in mind:

Thursday, September 24, is the Lower

School Back-to-School Night for

grades 1-4. It starts at 7 p.m.

September 21-26 is Blue & White week.

This week celebrates school spirit. It

begins on Monday with a dress-up day

and Tenth Day Assembly; and ends on

Saturday with the Lower School fi eld

day.

October and November are also very

busy. Please keep these events in

mind:


Tuesday, October 6 is the Lower

School Curriculum Night, which

will feature information about the LS

Music Program, Health and Wellness

Program, and the Math Program.

Friday, October 16 at 5:30 p.m. is the

BAPA sponsored Lower School Potluck

Dinner and Variety Show.

Thursday, October 29 at 2 p.m. is the

Lower School concert for grades K-

2 and the grade 3 and 4 Mini Blues

concert.

Friday, October 30 at 2 p.m. is the

Halloween parade.

Monday, November 2 through Friday

November 6 is the BAPA sponsored

Lower School Book Fair. We will be

featuring books from Usborne, Borders

and Scholastic. This event is a huge

fundraiser for the Lower School, please

come out and fi nd some good reading

materials!

BAPA has many volunteer

opportunities! Helping with the Lower

School Potluck, the Lower School Book

Fair, or becoming a class representative

are just a few ways to help out. We

are also looking for a coordinator for

the Box Top for Education Program

and for the Lower School Book Club.

If you are interested, please contact the

Lower School coordinators.

Pamela Oberg

[email protected]

Beth Tykodi

[email protected]

Lower School Coordinators

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

The summer seemed to fl y by

after a very wet beginning; but now

we would like to welcome everyone

back to school. Before we began our

fi rst day we had some back-to-school

gatherings to kick off the beginning

of the school year. We would like to

thank the Barbour’s for the grade 5,

Deborah Walden for the grade 7 and

Linda Fishbaugh for the grade 8 socials.

It was nice to see everyone and catch

up after a three-month hiatus.

Grade 8 BBQ to benefi t June Baccalaureate

Where: Berwick Academy

When: Blue & White Weekend...

Saturday, September 26, 11:30-2:00

What: A fabulous BBQ! Your choice

of hamburger, hotdog, veggie burger,

salads, drinks and desserts!! We’ll also

be selling coffee and donuts in the

morning!

Price: $6 per person, additional drinks

are $1 and desserts are $1.

Please support our eighth Graders in

their fundraising efforts!!

There are still several openings

for class reps in the Middle School so if

you would like to be involved and help

with some volunteer opportunities

please contact Andrea Bristol or Joanne

Meyer at [email protected] or

[email protected].

UPPER SCHOOL NEWS

As I sit to write this piece, the

sun is shining brightly yet there is a

chill to the air, which for me always

signifi es soccer season. It was great

to see all the students walking across

Fogg Field, fi lling the halls with chatter

and laughter. The parents were not

far behind in the noise category with

a large turnout on the BD porch for

the BAPA Coffee. As you read this, the

Upper School will have already had play

auditions, a Varsity Soccer Jamboree,

school pictures, the sophomore class

trip, Back-to-School Night, curriculum

with the parents and a special trip out

to the Shoals. The junior class will have

started their magazine drive, their one

fundraiser for their Prom in the spring.

The end of September brings

the golf tournament and Blue and

White Week beginning Monday

September 21, and coming to a close

on Saturday September 27, with soccer

games played at home and a barbeque

sponsored by the eighth grade.

Berwick parent GOLFERS WANTED

for the Bulldog Golf Classic, Thursday,

Sept 24 at The Ledges in York, Maine.

This tournament is hosted by the BA

Athletics Boosters and all proceeds

benefi t the BA student athletes and

facilities. This year the Boosters have

pledged funds for the start-up costs

for the Girls Field Hockey Program

and they would like to add more

scoreboards on the playing fi elds for

Softball and Baseball teams.

Golfer registration and Sponsor forms

are on the school website, at

www.berwickacademy.org/athletics

The fi rst US Coffeehouse will

be hosted on Friday, September 25

from 7-10 p.m. This event is a fun time

for our musically talented students

and those who enjoy sitting around

listening to good music and hanging

out with friends. There are snacks

and drinks provided by parents, each

class sponsors one coffee house a year.

The event is always chaperoned by

US faculty, some of whom share their

musical talents with the crowd.

October brings Convocation,

a variety show, a dance and the play.

Please remember to look at the school

calendar and read the US Weekly with

BAPA link. Updates from BAPA and

student activities are listed on this link

and many parents fi nd it helpful.

Enjoy!

Suzanne McFarland,

[email protected]

Mary Pat Dolan

[email protected]

Upper School Coordinators

NEW FAMILY NEWS


PRESIDENT

Jean Jarvis (603) 332-0164 [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT

Diane Walker (603) 942-5667 [email protected]

SECRETARY

Nickie Gaudette (207) 651-3083 fl [email protected]

GENERALTREASURER

Tracy Howe (603) 692-4631 [email protected]

SCHOOL’S TREASURER

Nancy Noyes (207) 439-8761 [email protected]

LOWER SCHOOL COORDINATORS

Pamela Oberg (603) 742-6630 [email protected]

Beth Tykodi (603) 749-5050 [email protected]

MIDDLE SCHOOL COORDINATORS

Andrea Bristol (207) 439-0880 [email protected]

Joanne Meyer (603) 964-1331 [email protected]

UPPER SCHOOL COORDINATORS

Suzanne McFarland (603) 436-2994 [email protected]

Mary Pat Dolan (603) 964-1827 [email protected]

NEW FAMILY COORDINATOR

Katie Clark (207) 384-0019 [email protected]

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Sarah Hebert (207) 384-3366 [email protected]

AUCTION COORDINATORS

Jean Jarvis (603) 332-0164 [email protected]

Lesli Friel (603) 379-2104 [email protected]

Mary Towey (603) 379-2658 [email protected]

2009-2010 BAPA BOARD DIRECTORY

After a summer of emails, it

was great to put faces to names during

the new families coffee morning on

the porch of the Burleigh Davidson

building this fi rst day of school. I know

it’s still early days, but hopefully you

are fi nding your BA groove and getting

into a sustainable routine for the school

year.

If you haven’t already, please take a

good long look at your BA calendar

(hopefully you have the printed

version at home, but the online version

is on the portal). The next month is

packed with events all over campus.

Very little will miss your radar if you

check the school calendar regularly.

Please feel free to email me with any

specifi c questions you have about any

event or if you need another calendar

sent to you.

I’d like to draw your attention to the

BAPA General Meeting on Monday,

Sept 28, at 8.15 a.m., in the Commons

lounge.

If you are interested in becoming

involved this year with the parent’s

association and volunteering in school

activities, then please try to make

this meeting. Don’t be intimidated by

the idea of BAPA. It’s just a group of

friendly parents who desperately need

your help and welcome your ideas.

Sometimes there’s even coffee! And

muffi ns! BAPA does so much, there is

bound to be an opportunity that suits

your interests and available time. Come

check it out!

Katie Clark

BAPA New Family Coordinator

(207) 384-0019

[email protected]

AUCTION NEWS

With the fi rst week of school complete,

we are looking ahead to many exciting

events that occur on the Berwick

campus. One of these events is the

Berwick Academy Parents Association

Benefi t Auction. Preliminary plans

are underway for this event, which is

scheduled for Saturday, April 24, 2010,

and we have a host of exciting ideas

this year. As always, we welcome your

support in planning this wonderful

evening. Join us for our fi rst meeting

– a great way to connect with the BA

community - scheduled for Thursday,

September 17 at 8:30 a.m. in the

Commons. At this meeting we will

begin to share our vision for the

evening, and look to fi nd parents who

are excited to join us as we plan this

event. We are looking for help in all

aspects of preparing for the Auction

– marketing, solicitation, advertising,

logistics, decorations and set-up, to

name just a few. We hope to see you

at our fi rst meeting. Coffee and baked

goods will be served! If you have any

questions regarding how you can help,

feel free to contact Jean, Mary or

Lesli.

Jean Jarvis

[email protected]

Lesli Friel

[email protected]

Mary Towey

[email protected]

Auction Co-Chairs

BAPA COMMUNICATIONS

Thank you to Eliza Peter and

Holly Grimes for all their help with

the August 1791 letter. And a special

thank you to new parents Richard

Fay and Margaret Borkowski for their

willingness and efforts to help!

The 1791 Letter will now be

mailed via email each month. If you

would like to receive a paper copy,

please contact Sondra Farrell sfarrell@

berwickacademy.org.Please remember

to keep checking the portal for the

latest BAPA news and announcements!

Sarah Hebert

[email protected]

BAPA Communications Coordinator


STUDENT WELLNESS ADVISAORY TEAM

S.W.A.T.

I am excited to announce a new

Upper School Leadership Program for

the 2009-10 school year. This new

program was developed by Alysa

Morse and Kolbie McCabe, Class of

2009. Alysa and Kolbie approached

me last spring and asked if I would be

willing to supervise their senior project.

These two young women worked

around the clock over the next two

weeks, contacting other independent

school prgorams, researching student

leadership, and designing program

materials. They ended up creating an

awesome new leadership program for

Berwick Academy. Ted Smith and I have

the distinct honor of co-facilitating

S.W.A.T.

The Student Wellness

Advisory Team (S.W.A.T.) is a group of

ten students, consisting of six seniors

and four juniors. It is gender balanced

and was chosen by the freshman class

advisors, Upper School administration,

and a group of ten senior leaders from

the Class of 2009. S.W.A.T.’s primary

goal is to assist the new freshmen in

adjusting to the Upper School culture.

Each S.W.A.T. mentor is assigned seven

or eight freshmen. Simply stated, a

S.W.A.T. mentor is to “be there” for

the freshmen throughout their fi rst

year of Upper School. Their duties

may include assisting a freshman by

simply being kind and saying “hi”, to

making sure they have someone to sit

with at lunch, to helping them with the

typical stress and anxiety during mid-

term exams. Nine of the ten S.W.A.T.

mentors accompanied the freshmen

class to Camp Winona the Wednesday

before school started. This trip was an

absolute blast! We couldn’t have asked

for better weather and the S.W.A.T.

mentors “stepped up” in ways that we

never thought possible. They, along

with Sam Winters, the Student Body

President, made this trip very special

not only for the freshmen, but also the

faculty. They made the faculty’s job so

much easier because they did almost

all of the work! More importantly, they

made the trip truly enjoyable for the

freshmen because they got to interact

with them (older peers) instead of

us (the adults.) There were so many

incredible moments on the trip, but

one that I will always remember is

when we realized that we were missing

one of the S.W.A.T. groups during an

evening activity in the Junior Wiggy. I

was assigned to “search and rescue”, e.g

fi nd them. Fortunately, I didn’t have

to look hard or go far. I just traveled

downstairs and found them “holding

court” with their eight freshmen. The

group was laughing histerically when I

opened the door to let them know that

they were a half hour late for the large

group activity.

One S.W.A.T. mentor kindly

volunteered to stay behind to assist

Ms. Onken with the fourteen new

upperclassmen who came to Berwick

this fall.. He, along with other Upper

School student leaders showed the

new students around the campus before

heading to York Beach for some fun in

the sun!

Needless to say, this

new leadership group has

been very busy welcoming

the newest members of

the Berwick community.

But their job doesn’t

stop here. S.W.A.T. has

numerous responsibilities

ahead of them this school

year, including assisting

with various Wellness

activities. But, their

primary responsiblility

this year is simply to “be

there” for the freshmen and new upper

classmen.

I am pleased to introduce the 2009-

10 Student Wellness Advisory Team

(S.W.A.T.):

Chris Atwood

Molly Towey

Eliza Jacobs

Max Werman

Derek Lavigne

Maggie Southerland

Connor Haley

Dylan Martini

Chelsea Vanderlinde

Cristina Salvador

Sincerely,

Cindy Briggs


Rachel Saliba

In honor of the Lower School’s

fi eld trip to build fairy houses for the

Tour of Fairy Houses in Portsmouth

last week, I have reprinted a story about

fairies written by Berwick Academy

alumna, Elizabeth Lord Chase (Class

of 1841). Her collection of poems,

Gleanings: Girlhood and Womanhood, under

her married name Elizabeth C. Hill, is

considered to be the fi rst published

works by an alumna.

The Adopted of the Fairies

By Elizabeth Lord Chase

Berwick Academy Class of 1841

One bright summer’s morn, a fair child about three years of age, strayed to the side of a bubbling fountain in one of the magnifi cent gardens of the East. And there she stood, her tiny foot half buried in a bed of blushing fl owers, her bright blue eye upraised, watching the gorgeous yet varying tints of the sunbeams which played over the surface of the clear waters; and eve and anon laughing merrily at her vain attempts to catch the feathery spray which fell around like showers of pearls.

She threw her golden ringlets carelessly aside as they fl oated in the breeze, and her eyes sparkled with unwonted delight as a youthful fairy tripped lightly from the bosom of a rose, which she had chosen for her bower, and had there laid concealed to guard her little favorite from harm. She lifted the child from the earth and lightly throwing her gossamer wings around her, seated her in the corolla of a

snowy lily, whose waxen leaves seemed meet to be the abode of childhood’s purity. After resting awhile, ‘did the blossoms and leaves, she again enfolded her youthful protégé and bore her far away into the regions of fairyland.

The palace of the fairies, called “Beautiful,” was framed of the most delicate gems and shells which the depths of the sea could afford. The roofi ng, inlaid with purest gold and the fi nest spun glass inwoven with the colors of the rainbow, formed an exquisite drapery for these apartments. It was when she was admiring the palace that the child was reminded of some verses which she had heard an elder sister often recite, and she repeated them to the Queen. They run thus:

“In bowers of odorous amber made, The sea sprites love to dwell;The fl oor with mother-of-pearl inlaid, And gleams of the bright pink shell:There the sea-fern waves above their heads, With many a gorgeous gem,And the glorious things ‘neath the ocean spread Are known to only them.

“In the mountain cave where diamonds burn, The fairies’ home is made;They bathe themselves in the fl o’rets’ urn, In the still, lone forest shade;Wherever her spell hath Beauty wove, The fairy is sure to be;In the silent cave, in the palmy grove, In the deep, blue, boundless sea.”

The Queen was so pleased with the child that

she resolved to adopt her, and accordingly she gave her the appellation of “The Fairy of the Fountain,” because it was there she fi rst had seen her.

It was “Rosalie,” the queen of fairies, who had thus captured the little maiden, and she cherished her with more than a mother’s love and care. From infancy she had secretly guarded her with the protection and bestowed those favors which a fairy only can command. Need I say she was supremely happy; for everyone is so who is loving and beloved. She was taught many and varied accomplishments and often she would while away the hours by playing the harp and lute to “Rosalie.”She would stitch violet leaves together, To make a fragrant gown;And wad her cloak to keep her warm, With fl ying thistle-down.

But the fairies loved their little prize so swell that they gave her not back again to Earth; for they deemed her too fragile to contend with life’s vicissitudes and to dwell with the cold-hearted ones here below, with no spirit congenial with her own. So they lived many years in the palace “Beautiful,” until a tribe of powerful genii sought to despoil them of their gardens and drive them from their homes; then in alarm, spreading their wings for fl ight, they melted away in to the dim regions of the clouds.

Reprinted from the student newspaper

“The Berwick Scholar” October 1890,

Volume IV.


ATHLETICS NEWS...cont. from pg. 7ARTS NEWS...cont. from pg 8

or would like more information should

contact Ms. Sanders directly.

Fall 2009 Music Festival Auditions Many of Berwick’s music

students participate in several

auditions and/or festivals each year.

Middle School students in chorus,

band, or orchestra, selected through

a nomination process, perform in the

York County Music Festival. Dedicated

Upper School music students may

choose to audition for the Maine

District I High School Honors Festival,

Jazz All State or Maine All State.

If selected by audition, they would

perform at prestigious music festivals

in large ensembles. Please check the

Berwick online calendar or the Berwick

website for dates and information.

VISUAL ARTS

Arts Center Gallery Over the past few years we

have exhibited recent alumni art

works in the Arts Center to welcome

our community back to school and to

show what some of our student-artists

are creating in college and beyond.

We welcome any recent alumni who

might have work from art classes, or

work that they have done on their

own to email Ms. Russell at Rrussell@

berwickacademy.org.

Work by Beth Gerreald ‘08, now a

sophomore at RISD is currently on

exhibit in the Arts Center Gallery.

Also on exhibit in the display cases are

pieces by Rachael Powell ‘06, Dianna

Batt ‘08, and Monique Gagne ’09.

Please stop by to view the works by

these accomplished young artists.

THEATER

The Upper School Drama Department

will kick-off the performing arts season

this fall with The Perfect Alibi, a detective

mystery in three acts, by A.A. Milne,

which will be staged on Friday and

Saturday, October 30-31, in Fogg

Memorial. The cast features Henry

Young, Jane Merrow, Nell Simon, James

Davis, Jibran Malek, Breandán Haley,

Cristina Salvador, Molly Mugford, Ian

Wright, Tyler McFarland, and Nate

Winters, with Hannah Sattler and

George Henkel as understudies. The

action of the play takes place in the

drawing room of Arthur Ludgrove,

Heron Place, Sussex, England.

The Perfect Alibi was written in

1928 and hails from the “golden era”

of British murder mysteries. The play,

also known in the U.K. as The Fourth Wall, was subsequently adapted from

the stage into a movie of the same title.

Howard Haycraft, the well-known

mystery scholar, calls The Perfect Alibi an

“ingenious affair in which the audience

watched both the commission of the

crime and the steps leading up to its

detection,” making it somewhat unusual

as mystery plays go.

Many will recognize the author

as the creator of the beloved children’s

classic, “Winnie-the-Pooh.” Long

before his acclaim as a children’s writer,

Milne achieved literary and artistic

success as a playwright and humorist.

Milne wrote plays, several novels, and

contributed numerous pieces to Punch,

the British humor magazine. The Perfect Alibi will be staged in the third fl oor of

Fogg. Curtain time is 7 p.m. for both

performances, Friday and Saturday,

October 30-31.

The King and I, Rodgers and

Hammerstein’s spectacular musical,

based on the story, Anna and the King of Siam, by Margaret Landon, will be

staged February 26-27 in the Patricia

Baldwin Whipple Arts Center.

Auditions will take place in mid-

November. For further details about

these upcoming shows, please be in

touch with Liz-Anne Platt, Director,

[email protected].

season with her new horse, 6-year old

American Saddlebred, Revelation’s

Brave Heart. The three categories she

is concentrating on this show season

are Saddlebred Country Hunter,

Junior Exhibiter Hack Horse and

Youth Activity Pleasure Horse. At the

AHAME Spring Classic Horse Show in

May, she fi nished fi rst in the qualifying

classes and the Championships. Her

next successful endeavor was the Hi

View Horse Show in Cumberland,

Maine where she won the qualifi ers

for Youth Activity and Junior Exhibiter

Hack along with the Championships

and fi nishing second in the qualifi er

and Reserve Champion for Saddlebred

Country Hunter. Her next show was

the American Saddlebred Association

of Maine show in July in Skowhegan,

Maine. There she placed fi rst in the

qualifi ers for Country Hunter and

Junior Exhibitor Hack with a second

in Youth Activity and winning the

Championships in the fi rst two qualifi ers

and Reserve Championship in Youth

Activity. She looks forward to two

more Maine shows and fi nishing the

season in October at The Exposition

Center in Springfi eld, Massachusetts.

Congratulations Melissa!

SEACOAST UNITED JUNIOR ACADEMY

Berwick Academy and Seacoast

United are pleased to announce our

next step in the new partnership with

the expansion of the Club’s highly

regarded Junior Academy Program.

The developmental program for boys

and girls ages 7 and 8 and 9 and10 will

begin in the fi rst week of November in

the Berwick Academy Field House.

TRYOUT DATES: Thursday, October

8 and Wednesday, October 14, 5:30-

7:15 p.m. (Registration begins at 5

p.m.) the start date for the Junior

Academy is Tuesday, November 3


UPCOMING EVENTS

19th Annual Bulldog Classic The Athletics Boosters is again

sponsoring this major fundraising event

scheduled for Thursday, September 24

at The Ledges Golf Course with an

8:30 a.m. start. This popular event is

an opportunity to meet new people

and reconnect with old friends. Please

refer to the registration forms included

in this mailing.

Seacoast United Girls Soccer Tournament Seacoast United will host the

all girls Columbus Day Invitational

on our campus over the weekend of

October 10-12. Berwick Academy

will provide concessions for the teams

and their families. Traditionally, this is

a quiet weekend on the Hilltop, but

we will have 30 teams competing on

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. This

is yet another step in our ongoing

partnership with Seacoast United in

addition to our summer camps and

winter junior academy.

Team Pictures N.E.A.T. is scheduled to

photograph fall teams on October 13

at Berwick. Team pictures are $8 and

will be charged on the bookstore bill.

Please have your son or daughter notify

the photographer on picture day if you

are not interested in purchasing a team

photo. The photographs will be used

for the yearbook, website, and keepsake

for the players; if you do not want your

son or daughter to be included in the

picture please advise me.

Upper School Field Trip There will be no Upper

School practices or games scheduled

for Tuesday, September 22 in the lieu

of an exciting fi eld trip planned for

the Upper School as they travel to

Smuttynose Island to explore the area

of their summer reading “Cold Water

Crossing.”

You are cordially invited to participate in the

19th Annual Bulldog Golf Classic!

The proceeds from our annual golf tournament continue to fund many

improvements to Berwick Academy’s athletic facilities. In the past, pro-

ceeds have benefi ted the athletic fi elds with the addition of scoreboards

and fi eld netting, fencing around the baseball fi eld, dug outs, and the

construction of the girls’ softball fi eld. In addition, our athletic training

staff received an all-terrain gator vehicle to transport injured players from

the playing fi elds and a storage shed was built for equipment storage.

With continued support from generous BA families and alumni, the Ath-

letics Boosters will be assured funds to update and improve our athletic

facilities.

Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009

Time: 8:30 a.m. Shotgun–Registration/Continental Breakfast

opens at 7 a.m.

Place: The Ledges - York, Maine

Format: Scramble

Fee: $125.00 per person (includes greens fee, cart, tournament gift,

continental breakfast, and luncheon to follow)

Four players per team—singles are welcome and will be placed on a team.

For questions regarding the event, please email Rob Quinn at rquinn@

berwickacademy.org or call 207-384-2164 ext.2800.

We look forward to seeing you there!

19TH ANNUAL BULLDOG GOLF CLASSIC

Thursday, September 24, 2009

at the Ledges Golf Club in York, Maine

Highlights:Excellent day of golf

Alumni class challenge

Great raffl e prizes!


Dear Berwick Community,

The return of students and faculty bring a welcome buzz and energy to campus, reinforcing the importance of our work

here in the Development Offi ce. As a new member to the community, the start of the school year has been particularly

exciting for me. My family and I have enjoyed attending athletic contests such as the soccer jamboree and witnessing

the fi rst fi eld hockey game here on the Hilltop in 57 years. I also continue to appreciate the opportunity to learn more

about the community and history of BA through my interactions with parents, faculty, alumni and students. It has indeed

been a great start to the school year.

On the development front, we are busy preparing for the launch of the 2009 - 2010 Annual Fund drive. As you know, the

Annual Fund is Berwick’s yearly fundraising effort that raises unrestricted money for our operating budget. The three major

sources of income for the school are 1) tuition, 2) income from investments, and 3) the Annual Fund, which provides 5%

of our operating income. Like all independent schools, Berwick relies on charitable donations (which are tax-deductible)

to help support operating expenditures including but not limited to academic and athletic programs, new technology and

laptops, energy costs, and fi nancial aid that tuition alone cannot cover. The Annual Fund directly supports our most

important resources – exceptional teachers, talented students, and a campus well-equipped for learning.

The 2009-2010 Annual Fund appeal letters will be sent out in mid-October. In lieu of the Annual Fund, parents of the

class of 2010 will be asked to support an endowed fund in honor of the graduating Class of 2010. Please remember

that participation is paramount to the success of the Annual Fund. Last year, in spite of diffi cult economic times, 60%

of our parents contributed to the Annual Fund. When we include our senior giving program, over 70% of families made

a charitable gift to Berwick last year! This commitment of support continues to enable the Academy to provide our

students with the quality education for which it has earned its excellent reputation. Thank you again for your support

and generosity.

If you have any questions about the Annual Fund, please do not hesitate to contact me or stop by the 1791 House anytime

you are on campus.

Best,

Jedd Whitlock

Director of Advancement

[email protected]

september 1791 letter

Documents

day of school

days of school

new school

school experience

head of school

week of school

berwick parent

berwick teachers