BrewsterConnections, Spring 2012

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What if you could give Brewster $100,000?

You can!Alumni support is at the heart of every great school. Last year, 8 percent of alumni

made a gift to Brewster. A group of alumni and parents believes we can do better, and they feel so strongly about it that they have issued a challenge to double alumni participation this year.

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S T R E n G T HIn nuMBERS

aLuMnIPaRTIcIPaTIon

cHaLLEnGE

Daniel T. Mudge, Chair(Tapley-Ann ’98, Ashley ’02)

Leslie N. H. MacLeod, Vice Chair(Todd ’97)

Roy C. Ballentine, Treasurer(Brian ’97, Susan ’94)

Douglas H. Greeff, Secretary(Hilary ’11)

Michael Appe

C. Richard CarlsonEstate Trustee

David L. Carlson ’54

Arthur W. Coviello Jr.

Candace Crawshaw ’64

Claudine Curran(Alex ’06, Gen ’11)

George J. Dohrmann III (George ’05, Geoffrey ’12)

Stephen C. Farrell Sr.(Stephen Jr. ’12)

Karen W. Fix(Will ’11, Keenan ’13)

Peter Ford ’80

Michael Keys (Matthew ’04)

Barbara Naramore

Arthur O. RicciEstate Trustee

The Reverend Nancy Spencer SmithEstate Trustee

Steven R. Webster (Brooke ’08, Tori ’11)

Trustee Emeriti

Walter N. “Rink” DeWitt ’54 (Kate ’86)

P. Fred Gridley ’53 (Deborah ’81)

Grant M. Wilson (Grant ’87, Kirsten ’88)

Brewster AcAdemy

2011-2012Board of Trustees

In a class participation project, photography instructor Steve Burgess captured this image of four students writing in the air with cell phones. The light from the first two phones is from the phones’ LCD screens, while the other six phones were set on flashlight mode. The writers are: Jessica Choi ’15 (Chungbuk, Korea), Skyler Sherman ’14 (Sunapee, New Hampshire), Samantha Bryan ’13 (Sanford, Maine), and Brendan Quirk ’12 (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), who came up with the idea.

Spring 2012

Inside

BrewsterConnections is published twice a year

and mailed to alumni, parents of students, and friends of

Brewster Academy80 Academy Drive

Wolfeboro, NH 03894www.brewsteracademy.org

©2012 Brewster Academy. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

BrewsterConnectionsHead of SchoolDr. Michael E. Cooper

Director of Admission and External AffairsLynne M. Palmer

Editor, Director of CommunicationsMarcia Eldredge

ContributorsJay Anctil, Jim Bastis, Dr. Marc Brackett, Dr. Michael Cooper, Marcia Eldredge, Beth Hayes ‘81, Peter Hess, Matt Hoopes, Kristy Kerin, Bob Richardson, Shirley Richardson, Jason Smith, Sally Smith, Martha Trepanier ‘83

PhotographySteve Allen, Brewster Academy Archives, Adrien Broom ’98, Andrea Cooper, Marcia Eldredge, David Fox, Beth Hayes ’81, BG Hodges ’66, Matt Hoopes, Willie Kenyon ‘12, Rebecca Marisseau ’12, Davis Olson ’13, Kim Ross, Skyler Sherman ’14, Sally Smith, Richard Orr Sports, Phil Stiles, Martha Trepanier ’83, Kate Turner

Departments 20 Newsmakers24 On the Road38 Class Notes44 In Memoriam46 Writing Brewster’s History

2 Head Lines Reflecting on Early Philosophy

4 Emotions Matter Social and Emotional Learning

6 Project-Based Learning Evolves Students find meaning in senior projects

11 Conference Affirms Direction of Brewster Program The latest discoveries about learning and the brain

12 Dr. Cooper, a Klingenstein Fellow

14 Great Brewster Moments Alumni from across the decades share their greatest moments

16 Talent on the Shoreline

19 Bobcat Nation Live on ESPN The top-ranked prep school team in the country draws live coverage

26 Strength in Numbers Will alumni meet this challenge?

28 Hoopla The Quarter-Century Club Community members reflect on 25 years at Brewster

Cover DesignSanqunetti Design

2 BrewsterConnections – Spring 2012

How is it possible that the writings of a 16th century French

philosopher and essayist can grab your attention in such a way

as to cause you to reflect on education today from the frame of

reference of the 1500s? What could possibly have been written

about educating a child in 1580 that was so prescient as to be considered in a

seminar for heads of schools in 2012? What makes these writings as applicable

today as when they were written almost 500 years ago? The answer to these,

and other questions, were each taken into careful consideration at the recent

Heads of Schools Fellowship Program at the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College

Columbia University, in which I had the good fortune of participating (see page

14 for a Q&A on my experience).

So often is the case where, as heads of schools, we are called upon to act and

make decisions without much time for reflection. To be in a situation where

it’s all about reflection and thinking differently about contemporary issues in

independent school education was a readjustment process of some degree, and

refreshing. To have the luxury of time to consider different facets of education

that are confronted by heads of schools on a daily basis, and to do that with 19

other heads from around the world, was invaluable.

First, it was gratifying to be able to draw upon my personal experience to put

into context what was being read and to consider how these were related to our

individual settings. As Heads, when we were students the first time around, our

level of experience was limited by the stage of our careers that we were in at the

time. Approaching these same issues with a broader frame of reference allowed

for a much deeper level of consideration of the topics before us. Besides what

was taken away from the experience regarding the general topics with which we

were presented and perspectives that were offered, the importance of taking

time to reflect and consider issues was an equally important element that I have

come away with from participating. I was reminded of what retired Lieutenant

General Hal Moore said about the importance of taking time for reflection. While

heads of schools are not in the throes of battle (although at times it feels that

way) as Lt. Gen. Moore was, the principle of taking time out for reflection in

Reflecting on

the Relevancy of

Early Philosophythe heat of things is solid advice. Too often we only look at what it is we need

to do and do not spend enough time on why we are doing what we are doing,

and whether there might be a different process to bring into play other than

the way our experience is telling us how it should be accomplished. Spending a

full two weeks on contemporary independent school topics, along with larger

issues facing secondary education, was confirming with regard to how each of

our schools was addressing these topics, yet it also was mind expanding in that it

allowed us to talk about things without concern of being judged or evaluated to

consider new ways of thinking and approaches to our challenges.

But back to my original question about what can be learned from a 16th century

philosopher and essayist that has relevance to the 21st century. Certainly there

are any number of conclusions that can be taken from the writings of Michel

de Montaigne (certainly framed by our own experiences, as we are the product

of our experience), but one of the more salient points from his writings on the

education of children speaks to a viewpoint through the lens of the 16th century

that is as commonly held today as it was then. “I know nothing about education

except this: that the greatest and the most important difficulty known to human

learning seems to lie in that area which treats how to bring up children and how

to educate them.” To underscore his point, he turns to the use of metaphor and

how raising and educating a child is just like farming. You can spend time plowing

and preparing the ground before planting seeds, but it’s in the cultivation and

nurturing of the young plant that can determine its outcome. The challenge

becomes supplying the proper amount of fertilizer and water to the plant to help

it thrive toward producing the desired end product. Yet, even with the proper

amount of nurturing, events along the way, like weather and amount of sunlight,

can alter the shape of the plant and what kind and how much fruit it will bear.

Because of this indeterminate outcome, he suggests that we should guide

children along the way to be their best and help them find their chosen path and

to not place too much emphasis on how they will turn out based on how they

act along the way; that flowers bloom at different times and rates and to rush a

blossom is to potentially spoil the flower. As a late bloomer myself, I can easily

identify with Montaigne’s admonition about not locking a child into a path based

3www.brewsteracademy.org

on what may be known at a particular stage of development. For me, it wasn’t

until I reached college that my path became a lot clearer and I started to get my

act together (a story for another time). His overall goal for a child’s education is

not for them to necessarily be an erudite individual, but one who can successfully

navigate life based on a broad set of experiences; as he states, the end goal of

education should be an individual with a well-formed versus a well-filled mind.

Considering Montaigne’s perspective and orientation to education to what

is offered at Brewster with our new emphasis on project-based learning and

emotional literacy, I can see even more the threads between what he was saying

in 1580 and how apropos his thoughts are for today. His writings offer another

way of examining how important it is to not simply know something, but how

impactful it is to be able to understand its usefulness and application. While not

easy reading, I would encourage anyone to explore Montaigne’s writings. His

validation of the timelessness of education in so many respects is worthy of our

consideration. As Montaigne reminds us: “Knowing something does not mean Dr. Michael E. Cooper, Head of School

knowing it by heart; that simply means putting it in the larder of our memory.

That which we rightly ‘know’ can be deployed without looking back at the model,

without turning our eyes back towards the book. What a wretched ability it is

which is purely and simply bookish! Book-learning should serve as an ornament

not as a foundation.”

And when you consider his thoughts in the context of what you will find in the

pages that follow, his writings are quite visionary when you consider where

Brewster Academy is today after 125 years and where we are headed – building

upon the tried and true and rethinking the core elements of what education is

about.

Brewster has a long history of responding to the needs of its students with

progressive programs that reflect best practices in education. Core tenets define

how Brewster has chosen to educate students and how the Academy has

chosen to define what it means to be a professional in the field of education

– tenets that have endured time and exist today.

BrEwStEr’S CorE tEnEtS:

• Schools exist for teaching and learning. All activities of the school must be referenced to this assumption in clear, unambiguous and demonstrable ways.

• Schools prepare students to lead successful, fulfilling, responsible lives. Values and character are as important as academic skills and should be articulated and taught in an integrated curriculum.

• A school’s curriculum is organized around the assumption that all students can and must learn.

• Teaching is a profession. True professions have a body of professional knowledge and standards of practice.

• Teachers should demand that learning occur. Learners should demand high expectations and a curriculum with teaching practices that meet their needs.

• A true learning community ensures that everyone at Brewster shares responsibility for the growth and development of one another in the community. A commitment to teamwork makes this possible.

• Schools should be judged by the extent to which they reach their teaching and learning goals and by the standards of the profession. They should be able to demonstrate how program fosters the student achievement of goals.

• Technology is an invaluable tool for learning. Use of technology in the program should be planned to meet outcomes and evaluated accordingly.

For a description of the practices and programs noted on the cover, please go to

the document Education at Brewster Academy: Preparing Students for the 21st

Century (2010), which is available at www.brewsteracademy.org/headlines

Intentional Growth: Thoughtfully Educating the Whole Student


Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the lead developer of The RULER Approach to Social and

Emotional Learning. At Yale University, Dr. Brackett is a research scientist in the

department of psychology; deputy director of the Health, Emotion, and Behavior

Laboratory (HEB); and head of the Emotional Intelligence Unit in the Edward

Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. He created the first

experiential course on emotional intelligence for undergraduates at Yale and also co-

developed a course on the same topic for aspiring school leaders at Teachers College,

Columbia University. He has been working with Brewster Academy on integrating

The RULER Approach into the Brewster curriculum since June 2010. On a recent

visit to campus, he sat down for a Q & A with Brewster Connections.

DESCriBE EmotionAl litErACy

Dr. Brackett: Emotional literacy comprises five key emotion skills. We use

the acronym – RULER – to communicate these skills, which are:

Recognizing emotions in oneself and others

Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions

Labeling the full range of emotions using a rich vocabulary

Expressing emotions appropriately in different contexts

Regulating emotions effectively to foster healthy relationships and

achieve goals

The work we do in schools with adults and children focuses on the

integration of The RULER Approach into all aspects of the school day.

What’s critical about our work is giving people the knowledge, skills, and

tools that help to develop their emotion skills. In turn, they embody a

range of behaviors and attitudes to better position themselves for success

in academics, careers, and relationships. How we handle our emotions

has a huge impact on our decisions, and research has shown that emotion

skills are integral to personal, social, and academic success.

wHAt iS tHE origin of EmotionAl litErACy

ProgrAmming AnD wHy iS it rElEvAnt toDAy?

Dr. Brackett: The HEB Lab was founded by Dr. Peter Salovey – who in

the late 1980s and early 1990s conducted seminal research on emotional

intelligence with his colleague, Dr. John Mayer of the University of New

Hampshire. Their research focused on how different moods influence

decision making and how emotion management and self-control impact

important life outcomes. Drs. Salovey and Mayer merged these studies

into the field of emotional intelligence

The study of emotional intelligence has since been scientifically validated,

and we now know that emotions matter in our daily decision making.

Emotions drive much of what we do in our life. Although the many

ways we regulate emotions occur outside of our awareness, our skill

in consciously regulating emotion is critical to our mental health and

relationships. My work focuses on teaching the skills of emotional

intelligence or the RULER skills. This work started when I collaborated

with my uncle in the mid 1990s on our first emotional literacy training

program. Teaching emotional literacy in school is critical because research

has shown that students trained in The RULER Approach perform

significantly better in academics and are more socially and emotionally

competent than students who have not been trained.

How Do you imPlEmEnt tHiS ProgrAm witHin SCHoolS?

Dr. Brackett: Everybody with a face has to be trained … students,

teachers, support staff, administrators. We want to make sure that

everyone who interacts with students receives training.

It’s also important to have continuous training. We’ve learned that

our understanding of emotions and ability to regulate emotions shifts

throughout life. Consider high school students’ decisions about cutting

class, having sex, or using illicit drugs. For 99 percent of these students,

they know what the right decisions are, but they need to know how to

regulate their emotions when making the decision to use or not use drugs,

for example. The more advanced work we do with high school students

is to teach them ways to regulate emotions and to think critically about

their high school success, including what they want to do after high

school. Consider a student who wants to be the captain of a sports team. If

the student, through various assessments, learns that he can’t read facial

expressions, we would help the student to better understand expressions

so he could be an effective team leader. Or, perhaps, the student wants to

Emotions MatterThe Relevancy and Advantages of Social and Emotional Learning

apply to a competitive university, but has trouble focusing and needs to

raise his GPA. This student would need to practice relaxation techniques

and other skills to focus his attention.

wHAt ArE tHE grEAtESt ADvAntAgES to StuDEntS AnD

SCHoolS tHAt imPlEmEnt tHE rulEr APProACH?

Dr. Brackett: There is a lot of data to show that highly emotionally

intelligent people are more successful. In the workplace, the RULER skill

that is particularly important is the last R – Regulate. You can have an

expert at work who has all the knowledge in the world about her field

but who lacks emotion regulation skills. People likely will not want to be

around this person because she doesn’t know how to regulate emotions.

Students (and employees) who have identified what we call their “best

self” and are both socially aware and able to self-regulate are setting

themselves up for success. Such skills have been identified by employers

as critical to success in the workplace, so students who develop these skills

early clearly have an advantage.

wHAt wAS tHE AttrACtion of working witH

BrEwStEr ACADEmy? Dr. Brackett: What’s wonderful about working with a school like

Brewster Academy is that it’s a boarding school and the first one that

we have had the opportunity to bring our work to. It’s brought many

challenges and interesting successes. For me, I am interested in the self-

contained environment of a boarding school where students attend class

and live together. From my experience with the school, the program is

being reinforced throughout the day in different settings, which is ideal.

Students can work on their emotional literacy skills outside of the class

day. They can really think about the environment that they want to create

within their dorm family and practice the skills 24/7.

Additionally, we plan to track ninth graders over time on their growth

in areas like emotional vocabulary, emotion regulation, and school

performance. One piece we are really excited about is a research project to

track students beyond their four years at Brewster. Our goal is to answer

questions like “Do the RULER skills students learned at Brewster predict

student success in college? Does the training impact their decision making

in college?” So, it’s nice to do a study to track the transfer of skills to the

next environment. This is particularly important for parents to see, so that

they, too, value the training that Brewster is providing their students.

As Dr. Brackett and his research team are based at Yale University in

Connecticut, he knew it was not possible for his team to be at Brewster

often. “We wanted to work with a few key people as master trainers who

would become the resident experts for the school,” he explained. Dr.

Brackett and his colleagues worked with the school management team

at Brewster to select the team of employees who would become the key

trainers. He then spent about one week doing intense training with these

folks and makes about two visits per year for follow-up training. Now

the school has progressed to making sure that students are learning and

becoming comfortable developing their RULER skills.

Meet the Brewster Trainers

Anne Marie AllwineSchool Counselor, Coach

Bret BarnettMath Department Chair, Math Teacher

Marsha BrooksAdministrative Assistant, Business Office

Matt ButcherEnglish Department Chair, English Teacher, Coach

Allie CooperIS Teacher, Director of Student Development

Laura CooperTeam Leader, Spanish Teacher, Coach

Michael E. Cooper, Ph.D.Head of School

Laura DuffyDean of College Counseling

Joe FernaldDean of Students

Maria FoundMath Teacher, CLP

Lauren HunterIS Teacher, CLP

Tara JunkinArt Teacher, Coach

Jaime LaurentDean of Campus Affairs, CLP

Rob O’BlenisScience Teacher, CLP



By Marcia Eldredge

Projects Shaping Senior Year

Three years ago, when members of the Class of 2012 were

sophomores, Brewster began incorporating project-based

learning (PBL) into its curriculum. Always keenly aware of its

responsibilities to prepare students for college and beyond, Brewster’s

PBL curriculum provides a learning process for students to develop the

academic, thinking, problem-solving, technology, and interpersonal skills

that reflect what employers are calling for in their 21st century employees.

Since that time, the PBL initiative has been incrementally initiated so that

for the 2011-2012 school year all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will

be involved in PBL work. Seniors will have a unique project experience.

“Seniors work on their project throughout the year, which gives

them a chance to cover the topic of their choice in more depth than

underclassmen and really create a capstone product for their final year

at Brewster,” explained Dean of Studies Peter Hess. “It also gives them

the chance, depending on the nature of their project, to do research that

gets tracked over a period of time. We have greater expectations for what

seniors will produce.”

Underclassmen projects are completed within a two-week period at the

end of the year, a time once reserved for exams. “We have envisioned

If Amy Misera’s (Cockeysville, Maryland) senior project goes as

planned, it could make a difference in the lives of Russia’s youngest

citizens. Adopted from a Russian orphanage at age 1, Amy wanted to

do something unique, to give back. “I have been given so much, including

the chance to come to Brewster. I’ve been lucky. Coming from where I did,

I was given a second chance and thought I should do something with it.”

Her goal is simple: to raise money to buy materials and supplies, like

blankets and medicines – basic things that are not necessarily affordable

to the orphanage but will make Samara 2 a more comfortable place to live

for the babies and children while they await adoption – and deliver them

herself.

The First Homes Foundation is her vision. Her senior project could just

make it a reality.

The summer before her senior year, Amy spent time interning at the

non-profit organization Children Across Borders. Here she learned about

a continuum from freshman to senior year that moves students from

conducting research and sharing information to actually developing

creative solutions that address a problem or issue. We want projects to

empower students to be resourceful and innovative,” Hess said.

Currently, senior projects are required to fulfill one of the following

criteria:

• Solve a real-world problem.

• Seek to answer a question.

• Create an original piece of thought or expression.

• Create something original that is useful or meaningful to someone else.

• Undertake an apprenticeship or internship.

“We are trying to move students in the direction of doing something that

benefits others. While that isn’t a requirement this year, we hope to move

in this direction of students finding creative, imaginative ideas that can

hopefully make a difference for others,” Hess said.

Here we present five senior projects: two projects that, if successful, will

help make a difference in the lives of others; two projects that will educate

others; and one internship.

raising money, making

connections, and that

“everything works better

when you have people who

believe in the cause and are

there for you.”

At the beginning of senior

year, seniors are required

to write and then present

a project proposal to the

senior team faculty. The

proposal had to show that

her project fit into one of

five categories. After her

proposal was accepted, she

was then required to create an action plan that would show the project

had reasonable expectations for a successful completion.

Amy Misera’s First Homes Foundation

Amy Misera


It was a physics class that sparked a senior project topic for Adam

Kolb (New Durham, New Hampshire) and Brady Palmer (Wolfeboro).

“In physics class we were making an energy efficient home for a third

world country and one of the things that we thought of in the project

was a methane toilet,” explained Adam, referring to the gas that could be

collected for use as fuel. “Then we cleaned it up a little and thought we

would do organic material.”

“Our goal is to create a biomasss generator that we can use here at the

school, not just to leave behind at the school, but so other students can

pick up and evolve it,” he added.

JuSt How EASy iS it? Physics has played a huge part as far as understanding energy efficiency

yet we want to make something that someone doesn’t need a background

in science to build, Adam said.

We want to keep it simple so that our prototype could be used by a

developing country, Brady added.

“We found that over eight-weeks at 80 degrees F the biomass compost

would create enough methane gas that’s flammable. Aside from cooking

you could use it for heating and lighting,” Adam explained.

Although we could harvest the compost right on campus from dining hall

waste, according to Mr. Gorrill pig manure is the most potent for creating

methane and that is available from local farmers, explained Brady, adding

that they were still working out the logistics of transporting this organic

matter back to campus.

Once the machine is closed

off and the mass is locked

in and burns, it should not

give off an odor, Adam was

quick add.

ClASSroom imPACt

Both boys attributed time

spent working in STAD

groups (student team

achievement divisions) to

their ability to understand

what it takes to work

within a group, including

not splitting up work but

learning how to function

effectively as a team. “When

you are working in a STAD,

you know how to split up

the work. When you work

with a group you learn you

need to split up the work

for the good of the group

to get things done,” Brady

explained.

“When we have two ideas

about the same thing, we

Seeking Alternative Energy

Once her action plan was accepted, Amy was ready to take the first step

toward creating her foundation, including writing a mission statement,

creating a team, finding financial backers, and getting accredited, which

she can do now that she is 18.

After writing to the orphanage and receiving no response, Amy began a

different approach. “I have branched out and am using outside resources of

people and organizations that might have connections back to the orphanage.”

English class is the one course that has helped her the most with skills

most applicable to her project, she says. “English has helped with writing

flow and using proper English because my mission statement and other

writing have to be official, professional.”

“This is really different than anything I’ve ever done before or anything in

the classroom. Creating foundations isn’t something I’ve learned in school;

I’m kind of going in blind. I don’t know what to expect because I’ve never

done it before. It’s not research. It’s doing. It’s action. I know there is a

chance of failure but there is chance of success.”

At the time of this interview, Amy was drafting and editing her mission

statement, but at the conclusion of her Brewster senior project, she says “I

will have a foundation I’ve created and go into life helping other kids; I’m

taking steps to help kids who are like me.”

An attempt to build and demonstrate a simple way to generate energy

Adam Kolb

Brady Palmer

Project-Based Learning evoLves


have learned to mesh our ideas together to create one we both agree on,”

Adam added.

Learning best practices in research skills from

the librarians and the necessity of strong time

management are other learned skills that have been

helpful with their project.

The boys admitted that there is still a lot of grey

area in the project and that the hardest part of the

project would be to determine how the fuel would be

harvested.

They still need to figure out what container will be used for the

composting and harvesting. They were planning a visit to a regional

company that initially had failed at building just such a container but a

second attempt was more successful and Adam noted that a visit might

help them determine just what not to do.

They were also planning to seek guidance from

alumnus Josh Arnold ’01, executive director of

G.A.L.A. (Global Awareness Local Action). “GALA’s

wide knowledge of energy efficient resources will

surely help us when we go forward with our project,”

Adam said.

By late spring, when Brady and Adam have to

present their biomass generator project, they hope it will be a roast of

sorts, serving their classmates marshmallows roasted from the heat of the

generator. “I’m hoping that if we make an efficient generator, we can share

it with the community and another group can evolve the project to find an

efficient way to save money and energy,” Brady said.

I chose an internship because it relates to more of what I’m interested

in doing, studying orthopedic medicine. I’d rather enjoy and be

interested in what I’m researching than feel like I’m being forced to

do a project.

During March break, I’m planning to intern back home in Anchorage,

Alaska, with a gastroenterologist. Hopefully it’ll involve shadowing him

and will allow me to ask plenty of questions of what it took to be where

he’s at now, what it takes to become a doctor, and also what his daily life

as a gastroenterologist is like.

I hope my internship

will help show me

what it takes to

become a doctor

and both the pros

and cons of being a

doctor.

Mackenzie Boardman’s Medical Internship

Mackenzie Boardman

For my classmates with

an interest in the field of

medicine, hopefully my

final presentation will

assure them of that career

choice or possibly the work

environment I learn about

may cause some students to

change ideas about studying

medicine.

Throughout different classes

at Brewster I have had to

do numerous presentations.

From these I’ve gained

experience in speaking clearly and maintaining eye contact during a

presentation. I have also learned numerous ways to present information

using technology, which gives me a freedom to choose how I want to

present my information.


We want to be able to

toast marshmallows for

our classmates during

our presentation.


When day students Rebecca Marisseau (Tuftonboro, New

Hampshire) and Keke Roberts (Wolfeboro) complete their

senior project, they hope to have added a chapter to the local

history books.

Through an archeology dig, the girls’ project should teach them about the

past, including how people lived in the 1800s, while helping to preserve

that way of life through their findings.

The dig will take place when the New Hampshire ground thaws on the

Marisseau’s Tuftonboro property where an old foundation share’s space

with the Marisseau’s relatively new home.

“Our property is located in what is historically the center of Tuftonboro

so the foundation could have been just a house. Remnants of a center

chimney have led us to believe someone might have lived there at one

point,” Rebecca explained. “The foundation looks relatively small but it

fits into the category of buildings for the 1800s.” According to Rebecca,

houses built in the 1800s placed their chimneys in the center of the

structure.

“We know that the general store located nearby was a tourist destination

at one point. We know that there are postcards of the area and that the

area was pretty much cleared of trees,” she shared. The girls are hoping

that old postcards will show what might have been on the property.

As part of their research, they plan to visit a local antiques store and

interview a local historian.

Rebecca explained that the actual process of going about uncovering

artifacts is tedious and includes marking off a small designated area

and scraping away dirt little by little. Within the approximately 20 x 13

perimeter of the foundation, Rebecca already has discovered a stove, a

pepper shaker, pots and pans, and medicine bottles, one imprinted with

the words Burdock Blood Bitters.

“Right now given our time constraints the process of the dig is quite

minimal,” Rebecca explained. “The time constraints she is referring to is

the two-week period at the end of the trimester when students can fully

devote themselves to their projects rather than preparing for and taking

exams. Because both girls take AP courses, however, they also will have

exams during this time.

“I like the projects more than the finals because it’s different and it’s

something we were really interested in and it just made it more fun for

us,” Keke said, referring to previous years.

“Ultimately, we want to

present a museum exhibit

to our peers, but we have

learned that it has to be

interesting for them,”

Rebecca explained.

As veteran project

researchers and presenters,

both girls have learned how

important it is to make their

project relevant to peers.

“I’ve learned to tailor what

I’m presenting to what

people are interested in.

Just because I’m interested

in something or Keke is

interested, it isn’t necessarily

what others are interested

in,” Rebecca said.

Both girls say they have

honed their research

skills with the help of the

librarians and AP classes,

which have taught them the

importance of finding the

primary source.

At the time of the interview,

Rebecca and Keke were still

narrowing the scope of the project but they knew that what they wanted

to share with their classmates was an exhibit that will identify what the

building was and reveal something about local life in the 1800s.

Local Archaeology: Digging up the Past

Rebecca Marisseau

Keke Roberts


Technology innovation and evolution has left its imprint on the

recording industry in challenging ways. Brian Weisbord (Los

Angeles) and Logan Floyd (Essex Connecticut) plan to examine

how these challenges impact both the industry and music consumers

today.

“We want to get into the world of the music industry and see how it’s

been changed by small independent labels, the Internet, and blogs. I’m

involved in the online music scene because I make my own music and

release my own stuff,” explained Brian, who aspires to be a documentary

filmmaker.

“We also want to look at how artists in different parts of the country go

about getting recognized, because we know it’s not the same in every

city,” he added.

These seniors want to gain a better understanding of how the music

industry works today in a world where the latest recording is accessible

and downloadable to the world in seconds. “In the past you cut a record

and getting it pirated was much less likely. Now we live in this super

sharing environment that is the Internet. Everyone is connected to iTunes

and people are sharing things back and forth, and I want to see what

really goes on behind the scenes in the music industry,” Brian said.

Sharing music can be good for some artists, Brian explained while it

might not be good for others, depending on where they are in their music

careers. “A lot of people who want to be recognized will pass around their

music for free … there’s this digital compulsiveness to share everything,

but then when they are recognized, they are less willing to give it away.”

He continued, “The business model for the music industry is really

messed up. Bands barely make money off of the music they sell; the

money is all in touring. The artists barely get any cut of their music. That’s

part of what we will be looking at.”

Brian and Logan plan to interview music executives, independent artists,

producers, and bloggers among other industry professionals. Since it’s

a documentary, they plan to conduct as many face-to-face interviews as

possible and video the meetings.

They expect the

interviews will

help hone their

interviewing skills.

For their sophomore

and junior projects,

Brian completed two

documentaries and

Logan produced two

movies, and they are

counting on the lessons

learned from these

projects to make their

more in-depth senior

projects stronger. As an

example, Brian has learned

he needs more media to

round out his film.

“On my first project

I didn’t have enough

film, and I had no

B-roll,” he laughed,

referring to background

footage that helps set

the context of a film.

Ultimately they will

produce a documentary

to present to their

classmates and teachers.

We plan to benefit by knowing we can start with an idea, make

connections to that idea or topic, do something really interesting with it,

and connect it back to our classmates in a meaningful and entertaining

way, Logan explained.

From Hard Copy to Hard DrivesThe Shifting World of the Music Industry

Brian Weisbord

Logan Floyd



Through the generous support of Brewster’s professional

development program, Dean of Studies Peter Hess attended

the Learning & the Brain Conference in Boston in November.

The conference brought together teachers, school administrators,

psychologists, and clinicians from around the world to hear researchers

share their latest discoveries in neuroscience and their implications for

teaching, interventions, and curriculum.

The conference’s title, “Preparing 21st Century Minds: Using Brain

Research to Enhance Cognitive Skills for the Future,” was what piqued

Hess’s interest. Brewster works hard to ensure that its academic program

prepares students for the world in which they will learn and live, and

Hess was curious to see if the information

presented at the conference would affirm that

Brewster’s program is current in proven best

practices in teaching and learning for student

success.

Several ideas shared at the conference had

direct connections to how Brewster has evolved

in recent years. For example, Charles K. Fadel,

co-author of 21st Century Skills: Learning for Life

in Our Times (2009) called for schools to rethink what is taught around

three dimensions – knowledge, skills, and character – and to achieve a

“balance between direct instruction and projects.” Brewster has recently

revised its curriculum to find the appropriate balance between content

coverage in different disciplines and the application of that knowledge

through its project-based learning initiative. Fadel’s words confirmed that

Brewster is on the right track with these types of revisions.

Harvard researcher Shelley Carson, Ph.D., spoke of the important role

that creativity will play in the 21st century and how vital it is that schools

take steps to nurture creativity in their students. Brewster’s project-based

learning initiative, in which students have the freedom to explore topics

of their choice and develop creative, useful solutions to problems, speaks

directly to how Brewster is cultivating this concept.

Robert Swartz, Ph.D., director of the National Center for Teaching

Thinking, discussed the value in decentralizing the classroom into small

groups and the importance of teaching students how to work well

in groups. Brewster has been committed to the concept of teamwork

and collaboration for nearly two decades, and the school curriculum’s

intentional cooperative learning practices accomplish this objective

extremely well.

Suzy Cox, Ph.D, researcher on the impact

of technology in education, advocated for

schools to adopt certain technology tools that

will help support the “Five Minds for the

Future” advocated by author Howard Gardner.

She touted the value in taking advantage of

technological resources as a way to engage

students more deeply in a variety of higher

order thinking skills. Some of the tools that she

promoted were tools that engaged students in the gathering and analysis

of real time data, podcasting, website creation, blogging, and media

creation. These tools have been a part of Brewster’s technology repertoire

for many years so, again, this affirmed the relevancy and importance of

Brewster’s curriculum.

The above is just a sample of the direct connections to the Brewster

program that Hess found as he listened to the various experts. The

conference was very stimulating and extremely affirming that Brewster

is absolutely on the right track with where it is headed in its efforts to

provide the best possible education for its students, Hess commented.

Conference Affirms Direction of Brewster Program

LIVE LEARN LEAD

By Marcia Eldredge

The conference affirmed that

Brewster’s curriculum is current in

proven best practices in teaching

and learning for student success.


In mid-winter, Dr. Cooper packed his suitcase and laptop, said

goodbye to his wife Andrea and their dog Tess, and left home for

school. For two weeks he was a fellow at the Klingenstein Center

at Teachers College Columbia University. As far as we know, he had no

BMPs, was always in dress code, and called home frequently.

His classmates were a select group of 19 other heads of school from

around the world who were chosen for the prestigious fellowship “that

offers talented individuals the time and resources for renewal and

reflection about their passion and their work in the company of equally

committed peers.”

Upon his return to campus, Dr. Cooper reflected on his fellowship at

Klingenstein’s Heads of Schools Program.

WHAt AttrACtED you to tHE KlingEnStEin HEADS

ProgrAm?

In the independent education world the Klingenstein program has an

excellent reputation. I was impressed with the opportunities it offered and

had heard from past participants that it was an excellent experience.

Also, being in my ninth year as head, I was looking forward to the

professional renewal component. I have always been interested in learning

and value lifelong learning. We certainly talk to our students about the

importance of being lifelong learners so it was an opportunity to practice

what I preach.

WHAt WAS tHE ProgrAm foCuS?

Each participant had to complete an individual research project on a

contemporary issue that we wanted to get more involved with. This

involved researching what literature has been written on the topic,

formulating a better understanding of the topic, and then presenting this

understanding in a paper, followed by a presentation of findings to my

peers. It was nice being fully immersed in school, as I had the time to fully

concentrate on the assignment.

In concert with Brewster’s emotional literacy program, I chose to focus

on the role that emotions play in decision making. We see the results

of students’ decisions and we ask ourselves ‘Why did they do that? …

They know the consequences.’ We know that the area of the brain that is

responsible for decision making is not fully developed in adolescents, and

we also know that in adolescents risk taking goes up considerably in the

presence of peers.

Research indicates that intervention programs do make a difference in

students’ choices, but we also know that imparting students with skills

and awareness won’t always prevent them from making some risky

decisions. My research reinforced that giving adolescents the tools to help

regulate their emotions can make a difference and thus the emotional

literacy program in place at Brewster is an opportunity to introduce

more skills and awareness so students can learn to take that split second

to think about their decision, and the consequences, and hopefully make a

different choice.

WHAt DiD you liKE bESt?

There was a component where we worked with master’s candidates

enrolled in Columbia’s graduate program. Most of these students have

worked at independent schools as teachers, dorm parents, and coaches

and aspire to be heads of school.

My cohort had developed case studies of challenges that have happened

throughout our careers. This was a fairly comprehensive process to write

these cases and then we sat with the graduate students through two fairly

lengthy sessions and talked to them about the details of each and their

outcomes. The process afforded the students to see the many facets to

issues that heads confront and how decisions can go in many directions

depending upon the school, its culture, and situation being considered.

Working with them was one of the highlights. They were sponges, and

they valued the time they had and exposure to working with heads

of schools. The setting was enlightening for them as they were able to

spend time with us and really see the nuances associated with a head’s

position and decisions that have to be made. They realized that there are

so many facets that go into decisions, whether it’s related to curriculum,

the budget, personnel, or even the dismissal of a student, and from my

perspective it felt good ‘to impart this wisdom’ on the students.

We also spent a session on governance with these students because

the majority of them have little experience working with a board. We

helped them to better understand what represents good governance at an

independent school. In the end, it is the intent of the Klingenstein Center

to have these reflections published as seminal lessons.

We had a number of sessions on technology and pedagogy and the

importance of leadership within this realm. In many respects most of the

schools represented were well beyond the issues being discussed. Because

of our independence, we have been able to get out ahead of what’s on the

horizon for secondary education. Certainly a good example of that is our

early entry into being a laptop school and how that has helped to shape

our pedagogy through the Brewster Model.

Dr. Cooper, a Klingenstein Fellow


I learned that Brewster is well positioned with what we do to incorporate

technology into our education program, and we have a lot of resources

devoted to furthering the evolution of our technology integration and

staying on top among independent schools.

wHAt DiD you lEArn from your CollEAguES?

We share a lot of similarities and at the same time a lot of differences. For

everybody, though, enrollment and affordability are big issues and of

course the economy’s impact on schools right now. We are also focused on

curriculum and how we deliver it in the most

affordable and efficient manner, while having

it be responsive to the needs of today’s

learners. My classmates are asking the same

questions we are about curricular issues,

such as: ‘What role should technology play

in education?’ ‘What online opportunities

are we looking at?’ We know that teaching is

still a person-to-person enterprise. Elements

of teaching are available online but a lot of

teaching still comes down to the imparting of knowledge in a face-to-face

manner because education is still more than what we fill students with, it

is a matter of how we form their minds.

AS A grADuAtE of tHE klingEnStEin HEADS ProgrAm

iS tHErE AnytHing tHAt you will Do DiffErEntly now?

Certainly some of the things we studied will have some impact … I think

the influence will come over time. Having spent some time as part of

my research project reading the literature around how emotions impact

decision making, I hope to be able to gain a better understanding of how

the implementation of the RULER Approach can be enhanced to assist us

in more effectively providing our students with some valuable life skills

associated with better management and regulation of their emotions.

I learned that it took me a little while to start thinking

like a student again. As administrators we are always

acting and reacting and not taking the time to reflect.

I need to make some time for reflection. I believe

it has the potential to result in better decisions and

outcomes.

Additionally, I look forward to staying in contact with

classmates and having this group of individuals to

share challenges, issues, and successes. We are all in similar roles with a

common language and a common frame of reference no matter what kind

of school we are in.

Because of our independence,

we have been able to get out

ahead of what’s on the horizon

for secondary education.

Head of School Mike Cooper, Peter Hess, dean of studies; Lynne Palmer, director of admission and external affairs; and Robert O’Blenis, science teacher and community life parent have

been selected to present on Brewster’s 2020 Vision at the Independent Educational Consultants Association conference in Boston in May.

Much has been written about the skills and knowledge necessary for students to be well prepared as new entrants into the world of college and the work place. The challenge for schools is in how to prepare students for what they are about to encounter. Recognizing the importance of 21st century skills, Brewster has evolved its educational program to include an emphasis on building skills and knowledge in this area. The Brewster faculty will present a workshop at which they will:

Share innovations in education and how these changes are and will impact their clients as consultants assist them in selecting the appropriate school for a family’s educational goals;

Present research in support of both project-based learning and emotional and social literacy skills as integrated ways in which schools can attend to the 21st century skill of their students;

FACuLTy InvITED To PrESEnT A Skills-Based Approach to Educating the Whole Child for Today’s World AT IECA ConFErEnCE

Share and discuss the complexities of introducing two new conceptual frameworks into a school’s educational program and how to begin thinking about undertaking such an endeavor in their own settings; and

Help participants understand how technology has been woven into Brewster’s curricular changes being presented as part of the 21st century skill set.

“During my graduation ceremony in 1999, I looked around the campus and was sad to leave such a beautiful place with so many memories. Then I looked around the tent and knew that I was with a group of people that I would know forever and that there were many more memories to be made from that point on. And I was right.” Ramsey Cotherman ‘99

“In 1961, there was a snow sculpture of Mount Rushmore with President Jack Kennedy added. The artists were Jack Barbara ‘61 and John Coyne ‘61. The remainder of the group piled snow and made the block of ice. It certainly was a work of art and a Great Moment in Brewster History.” Larry Benedini ‘61

“Skiing after school at Moose Mountain every day, which started a 26-year professional ski patrol career.” Peter Dulong ‘71.

“In 1946 and 1947, when I was six or seven years old, I was living on South Main Street opposite the Brewster Campus. My brother Dan ‘55 and I used to stay awake at night on weekends to listen to the GIs singing as they returned to their dormitories after an evening at the movies in the Town Hall.” Carolyn Haskins Roth ‘57

“After being told to clean out the Bearce Hall barn by Mr. Smith so that horses could be boarded, the boys from Brown Hall came upon two old iceboats from the 1950s. We restored them and had a great winter in 1973 sailing on Wolfeboro Bay.” Robbie Palazzo ‘74

My Greatest Brewster Moment

In celebration of Brewster Academy’s 125th year, we asked alumni to send us

their “Greatest Brewster Moment” and soon my inbox was overflowing with those

quintessential moments. We couldn’t share them all but here we share many …

“I came to Brewster as an accomplished Western equestrian. I had started learning English at home a year before going to Brewster, but it was Mr. Richard Fahy, who let me

ride and show his horse, who gave me the confidence in jumping. At first I was a little nervous to jump, especially the cross-country fences but with Mr. Fahy constantly cheering me on while instructing me, my nervousness turned into freedom to jump anything. By the time my senior year rolled around I would ride any horse and jump any jump. When I ride today, I always think of Mr. Fahy.

At Brewster I learned to be a student and a person who has faith and confidence to excel. I learned not to hide behind fear and nervousness but with help from teachers and peers I could excel at anything I tried.” Elizabeth Palmer Traverso ‘93

“I recall my great moment while touring prospective families. While I knew how fortunate I was to attend BA, I realized that there was so much I wanted to share with these families; I wanted them to see the gem of magnificence that was my school. I was so proud of our community.”Jenna (Marks) O’Donnell ‘99

“Capturing the first baseball Lakes Region championship for Brewster Academy in spring 2011. The fact that we never lost a game to an opponent in our league was amazing. It was a great experience and a great way to finish my Brewster experience!” Spencer Montgomery ‘11

“Every day. Life was a ball. And checking out the new PG football players at the beginning of each school year!“ Monie (Stevens) Zarinsky ‘54

“Every moment spent with Burt Vaughan … four years of Latin because of Burt Vaughan … four years of Glee Club because of Burt Vaughan.” Ken Mitchell ‘59

“Winning the 1977 Lakes Region basketball championship.” Derek Murphy ‘77

Presidential history thanks to members of the Class

of 1961.

Coach Richard Fahy and Elizabeth Palmer Traverso

’93 (far right) in a 1991 yearbook photo.

An iceboat and its skipper, circa 1973.


“Brewster gave me so many fond memories and has had such a positive impact on my life. … The International Club built an amazing Budda snow sculpture for Winter Carnival in 1996 (designed by Kentaro Seagal ‘95) … Topher Grace’s ’97 Performance in Fiddler On The Roof … Mr. Zip, the most entertaining math teacher ever! Plus, he had awesome sports coats!” Caitlin Kirk ‘96

“Standing in my dorm room, up over Mal Murray’s kitchen, looking out those old oversized windows across The Lake (Wolfeboro Bay) in the winter and seeing Gunstock in the distance. A chance for peaceful contemplation.” Gene Fox ‘67

“Leaving all-school meeting and finding my freshly painted VW Beetle on the top step of the Academic Building, blocking the front doors. Dean Esty ordered that it be removed immediately!” Stephen Smith ‘84

“Going to NYC senior year and singing at Carnegie Hall, and meeting someone at freshman orientation who would become one of my best friends!” Allie Duffy ‘08.

“Rock climbing at Devil’s Den and at Cathedral Ledge in North Conway with coach Mal Blodget.” Keith McGovern ‘78.

“Playing on three consecutive Lakes Region undefeated championship soccer teams – 1960, 1961, 1962.” Skip Dale ‘62, PG ‘63

“Hugging Trey (Whitfield) ‘89 on the court after winning the 1988 New England Basketball Championship.“ Mike Clark ‘89

“Soccer and softball practices with Mr. Esty and Mr. Cook every fall and spring, when they made us laugh harder than we practiced. Sitting on the ground to stretch, Mr. Cook would bellow ‘meat hooks,’ our cue to grab onto our feet and stretch until laughter had us rolling around on the field!“ Beth Hayes ‘81

“… The simple act of walking across campus from the old gym to Sargent Hall after basketball practice during the fall. Looking at the beauty of the sunset during peak foliage from the top of the hill captivated me daily. I still find myself thinking and talking about those sunsets. Those memories serve as a source of serenity and inspiration for me. I think the fact that such a scene would even be noticed by a high school male only speaks to how beautiful it really was for me.” Tony Bryant ‘83

“Making a basket in the New Hampton game. We beat them 94-74 on their home court.” Jon Skrzyszowski ‘65

“Mr. Lui’s class and his some times inappropriate jokes.” Jack Pilon ‘11

“Seeing snow for the first time in my life!” Candace Crawshaw ‘64

“Marching in Concord with Mr. Radley in support of New Hampshire recognizing Civil Rights Day.” Bruce Hawkins ‘01

“Although I am an alum from the class of 1978, I would have to say my greatest moment at Brewster was the class of 2010 graduation when I got to watch my daughter Katie give the salutatorian address to the Brewster community. However, I am just as proud of how well my youngest daughter Ashley ‘15 is doing at Brewster now.” Jon Samuelson ‘78

“Time spent with coach Seth Ahlborn and the crew team; traveling to meets and an adventuresome trip to Connecticut to get one of the Vespoli shells repaired.” Reagan Jobe ‘01

“At a once traditional, light-hearted initiation ceremony for the freshman class, because my last name was Weeks – and there was a Ms. Weeks [no relation] from the Wakefield/Sanbornville area – the leader called us both to the podium and handed a toothbrush to each of us. He directed us to sweep clean the stage with the brush. I recall having a great vantage point to watch the rest of the ceremony from floor level!” Barry Weeks ‘72

“Ice fishing with Charlie Meier ’91 on the lake one long, cold day – and we never even got a bite.” Laurence Seiterle ‘91

“Senior year. The girls from Brown Hall won a competition, and we got to enjoy a hot tub party.” Julia Gordon ‘05

“My second year at BA when I met Erin Quirk ‘09, her first year at BA. I saw her and Anna Parker ’09 walking

around campus and they told me they were bored and I told them to go and find something fun to

do, to run around on campus, and they started laughing. After that we became really good friends and later Erin became my sister. I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.” Emmanuel Negudu ‘08

“I have fantastic memories of such simple things as going into town to get a sub or buy comic books. I had the opportunity to play Rugby. I did stand up comedy for the first time at Brewster. However, I think my fondest memory is not what happened

when I was there but 20 years later. My 20th reunion was amazing! It was a weekend that I will hold with me for the rest of my life. Not only did I have a glorious time with my 1990 classmates, but I reunited with my high school rock band, S.O.M. When we played together, it was like we never left each other. I had an absolutely magical time, which ended with bonding by the lake and late night brisket.” Rob Gorden ‘90

“My great moment was four years long.” Jean (Douglas) Orr ‘54.

Jon Skrzyszowski ’65 contributed to this 1965 victory.

This is not Ac study: Julia Gordon ’05 (left front) and

dorm mates enjoy a great hot tub moment.

Reunited at Reunion 2010: Rob Gorden ’90 on

vocals and band mates (l to r) Chris Barry ’90,

Temple Peterson ’89, and John Gibbs ’90.



Living the Dream, Brendan Quirk ’12 (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)

Go! Study in This Window, Yung Ching Yang ’14 (Kaohsiung City, Taiwan)

In Between, Jaruwan Amtawong ‘12 (Nakhonpathom, Thailand)

Untitled, Preye Okara ‘12(Canton, Massachusetts)

Reaching for the Light, Yoshiaki Tomita ‘14(Kanagawa, Japan)



Karma, Bella Monzione ’15 (Alton, New Hampshire)Untitled, Makenzie Moon ’14 (New York, New York)

Hiroshi Tanaka’s ’12 (Aichi, Japan) Love Story earned the “Award for Excellence in Sculpture” at the Friends of the Arts show at the Silver Center for the Arts at Plymouth State University.

Juliet Hadley’s ’15 (Tuftonboro, New Hampshire) Backbone was juried into the Friends of the Arts show at the Silver Center for the Arts at Plymouth State University. The artist explained her work: “This art piece was made to be a 19” vase but it never fully reached 19”. During the processes of making it, it caved in to form a more humanly figure. I like more of the organic look and shapes and added earth tone colors. It was made of coils that were later smoothed out.”

After School, Ruby Lin ’12 (Taipei City, Taiwan) Follow the Light, Addie Simmons ’12 (Wolfeboro)



Staying ConnectedWhether you are an alumnus/a parent,

or a friend of Brewster, we have

many ways to keep you connected,

the latest of which is a mobile version of

www.brewsteracademy.o

icons and text headers (displayed in the graphic),

will give you instant access to news and updates.

Mobile Site

www.brewsteracademy.org

Facebook facebook.com/BrewsterAdmissions

facebook.com/BrewsterAcademyAlumni

facebook.com/BrewsterBasketball

twitter

twitter.com/BA_DocCoops

twitter.com/BrewsterHoops

twitter.com/BrewsterKitchen

Youtube

The Bobcat Channel: youtube.com/user/BrewsterBobcat

Brewster Commended by NEASC

In November the Commission on Independent Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) commended Brewster on the school’s five-year interim evaluation report.

The Academy last went through its re-accreditation and self-study process in 2006, as required by the NEASC of independent schools every 10 years. In that review, the accrediting board recommended specific areas in which Brewster could improve. “The list of ways Brewster has improved is laudable,” said William M. Bennett, director of the commission, in a letter to Head of School Dr. Michael E. Cooper. “The school has taken specific steps to deepen and broaden its development efforts, to initiate ways faculty can be part of the policy-setting process, to establish exciting directions in the curriculum, and to open communication among many areas of school life.” During its re-accreditation process in 2006, the visiting committee members voted unanimously in the affirmative on 67 of 77 standards necessary for accreditation. Of the 10 standards that did not receive a unanimous affirmative response, each one received between five and seven affirmative responses; overall, an excellent “grade” report. It was the improvements in these areas to which Bennett referred in his letter. “The Commission feels Brewster is poised to become an even stronger school going forward. The Commission commends the school on its work of the last three years as well as the report itself,” Bennett added. Brewster has received continued accreditation since its initial membership with the NEASC in 1933. The NEASC is the regional accrediting body, providing accreditation services for more than 2,000 public and private institutions for programs from pre-kindergarten through the doctoral level.

Brewster’s Champion Trees

Brewster Academy was recently recognized

for being the stewards of two Champion

Big Trees: a white oak (pictured below)

and a black locust. Both are the largest reported

specimens of their species growing in Carroll

County.

The white oak, located in front of Sargent Hall,

stands 69 feet tall, is 175 inches in circumference,

and has an average crown spread of 101 feet.

The black locust, located near Memorial Field

across from Brown Hall, is 72 feet tall and

measures 126 inches in circumference with an

average crown spread of 43 feet.

The New Hampshire Big Tree Program is an

outreach of the University of New Hampshire

Cooperative Extension. The purpose of the New

Hampshire Big Tree Program is to locate the

most outstanding examples of the various tree

species that grow in New Hampshire, to obtain

the cooperation of the tree owners to protect

and preserve specimens as landmarks for future

generations to enjoy, and to stimulate interest in

and greater appreciation for trees as a natural

resource. Next time you are on campus, take time

to stop and admire these champions.

rg. Clicking on the


Brewster’s 14th win of the season was like no other for the Brewster

boys’ varsity basketball team. The victory didn’t come in the

Smith Center, and they didn’t earn it on their opponent’s court.

They held on to their number one ranking against another top-five

nationally-ranked team at the Spalding Hoophall Classic, which was

televised nationally on ESPN.

Although 350,000 basketball fans viewed the game from around the

country, the support from the Brewster community at the game was the

difference maker, said head coach Jason Smith. With alumni and a busload

of students and faculty in the stands, the Bobcats defeated Tilton School

57-53.

“The Hoophall Classic is the premier high school basketball event, and

Brewster was very fortunate to be included this year, since only the

top programs are invited annually,” Smith said. “For our game to be

selected to be aired on ESPN was a tremendous honor. It was a wonderful

opportunity for our team, as well as the entire Brewster community who

provided outstanding support! We are excited about being invited again

to next year’s Hoophall.”

gAmE HigHligHtS

Florida State- signee Aaron Thomas (Cincinnati) had a game-high 23

points, while North Carolina State-bound TJ Warren (Raleigh, North

Carolina) added 14 points. Unsigned forward JaKarr Sampson (Barberton,

Ohio) added 13 points and 5 rebounds, while Michigan-signee Mitch

McGary (Chesterton, Indiana) had game-high 12 rebounds. Unsigned

guard Joe Bramanti (Andover, Massachusetts) played yet another

outstanding game on the defensive end of the floor for the Bobcats.

PrE-gAmE rECEPtion

Nearly 50 alumni, parents, faculty, and friends gathered for a pre-game

reception on the Springfield College campus anticipating the Hoophall

Classic matchup. Representation covered the span of classes from 1954,

1958, 1965, 1978, 1989 through 2011. Several alumni from the Springfield

area reconnected with classmates and learned more about what’s

happening on the Brewster campus, including the ongoing celebration of

our 125th anniversary.

Following the reception, the group joined the spirited busload of Brewster

students in the Blake Arena – all showing their Bobcat pride on the

ESPN-televised event. Fans were not disappointed by the high level of

competition and ultimate victory for Brewster! Go Bobcats!

Live on the Brewster Bobcats The top-ranked prep school team in the country draws live coverage this season

Former Bobcat Mike Clark ‘89, sporting his 1987-1888 Lakes Region League Champions basketball jacket, brought son Nate to the Hoophall Classic.

Lester Kligerman ’65, Ralph Lockwood ’65, Carolyn and Peter Dulong ’71, Margaret and Bob Schwarz ’65, and Jon Skrzyszowski ’65 enjoy the pre-game reception.

The top-ranked prep school basketball team in the country: the Brewster Bobcats

Newsmakers


Artists’ Work Selected for Exhibition

Hiroshi Tanaka ’12 (Aichi,

Japan) and Juliet Hadley

’15 (Tuftonboro, New

Hampshire) had artwork

selected to exhibit at the

Friends of the Arts show

at the Silver Center for

the Arts at Plymouth

State University. Hiroshi

also won the “Award for

Excellence in Sculpture”

for his “Love Story”

sculpture. His other

piece that will display is

his textile work “Denim Bag.” Juliet’s 19” ceramic

“Backbone” was also selected to exhibit (see page 17

for artwork photos)

In total 117 pieces of art were submitted from

12 schools; 59 were selected for the show and 18

received awards.

Moon’s Writing Earns HonorsMakenzie Moon ‘14

(New York, New York)

was recently recognized

by the Alliance for Young

Artists & Writers and the

National Writing Project in

New Hampshire through

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Her collection of poems – “My Dear Child,” “13 Ways

of Looking at the Moon,” and “An Artist’s Lover” –

was among 300 submissions sent to the Scholastic

Writing Awards by New Hampshire students. It

was selected by a panel of writers, teachers, and

literary professionals as the best work submitted

by New Hampshire teenagers. The collection will

be published in the 2012 edition of Middle/High

School Voices, and she has been invited to attend the

Middle High School Voices conference and the New

Hampshire regional awards ceremony in May.

Bobcat Skaters Play for Canada

Juniors Catherine LeBoeuf (Dieppe, New Brunswick),

on right, and Laurence Porlier (Maria, Quebec), on

left, represented their provinces at the National

Women’s U18 Championship in Saguenay, Quebec,

in November. Laurence, a forward, played for Team

Québec, which won the silver medal. Catherine, who

plays defense, played for Team Atlantic, which lost

the bronze medal game to Team Manitoba.

“The Championship was one of the best athletic

competitions I’ve had the opportunity to

experience. I got to play against and with some of

the best female U18 players in Canada. It can’t get

any cooler than that,” LeBoeuf said.

McDonald’s All AmericanBrewster forward T.J.

Warren ‘12 (Raleigh,

North Carolina) was

selected to participate

in the McDonald’s All

American Game on March

28 at the United Center in

Chicago to be televised live on ESPN. Warren signed

in the fall with North Carolina State University. In

the past 10 years, about 80 Brewster players have

been nominated as McDonald’s All Americans but TJ

is the first Brewster player to be selected to play in

the premier high school boys’ all-star game.

Bobcat Goalkeeper Globe All Star

Danielle Tidd ’13 (Alton

Bay, New Hampshire),

goalkeeper for the girls’

varsity soccer team was

selected as a Boston

Globe NEPSAC All Star.

She was one of 19

players selected from

more than 100 schools

in the NEPSAC league.

Field Hockey Seniors Named to All-Tournament Team

www.brewsteracademy.org 21

Seniors Hanna Skelley (Wolfeboro) and Amy

Misera (Cockeysville, Maryland) were named to the

New England Preparatory School Athletic Council

(NEPSAC) Class C Field Hockey All-Tournament

Team. The midfielders were two of the team’s four

captains and also are the captains of the varsity

lacrosse team. “We are a dynamic duo on the field,”

Misera commented.

Misera, a two-year member of the team, plans to

play field hockey at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

This season she was awarded Most Valuable Player

for the Bobcat squad. Skelley is a three-year member

of the team. She plans to play ice hockey in college.

The Brewster players were among 15 girls selected

to the All-Tournament Team. Currently 31 teams

comprise NEPSAC’s Class C division.

Field Hockey Players Named Gladiators

Varsity field hockey

players Lottie Barton

‘12 (Kenai, Alaska), Allie

Hughes ‘12 (La Canada,

Califorina), and Goldie

Paul ’12 (Hampstead,

New Hampshire) earned

the honor of the 2011

Gladiator by SGI/National

Field Hockey Coaches

Association High School

Academic Squad. The

National Academic Squad

program recognizes

those high school seniors

who have achieved a

cumulative, unweighted

GPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 or

the equivalent through

the first quarter of the

2011-2012 school year.

Butcher Named Coach of the YearGirls’ varsity soccer coach Matt Butcher was named

Regional Prep School Coach of the Year by the

National Soccer Coaches Association of America

(NSCAA). Coach Butcher

led the Bobcats through

a dramatic 2011 season

ending with a 16-2-1

overall record.

He has served as head

coach of the girls’ varsity

soccer program since 2002. During this time, the

team has earned three New England championships

(2009, 2007, and 2004); one co-championship

(2002); eight invites to the New England playoffs;

and six Lakes Region titles. His overall coaching

record at Brewster is 133-25-10.

Butcher was honored in mid-January at the annual

NSCAA convention in Kansas City.

Douglass on NPR’s Morning Edition

In late 2011, pianist and guitarist Gregory Douglass

’98 was interviewed on a segment of National Public

Radio’s Morning Edition. The year-end segment

looked at music it missed over the past 12 months.

Host Linda Wertheimer interviewed Douglass, who

discussed his latest album Lucid and the ups and

downs of working as an independent artist. Visit

www.gregorydouglass.com to learn more about

Douglass.

Broom’s Work on Exhibit in Florence, Chelsea

The work of photographer Adrien Broom ’98 is on

exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Culture at

Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, Italy. Her photography is

part of the exhibition: “American Dreamers. Reality

and Imagination in Contemporary American Art.” The

show runs through July 15. A little closer to home,

Broom also has work on exhibit as part of a two-

person show at the Tria Gallery in Chelsea (NYC)

through April 15.

“The Florence exhibit feels like a dream to me. I

remember going to that Museum when I studied in

Italy back in 2003. The title of the exhibit (American

Dreamers) is perfectly fitting,” Broom said.

Broom is also working on a children’s book and

an event based around food, photography, and

storytelling to showcase at the Chelsea Market later

this year. Visit www.adrienbroom.com to learn about

Broom’s work.

ESPN Profiles Thomas RobinsonIn January, ESPN released a video on University of

Kansas forward Thomas robinson ’09. “Family Over

Everything” profiles Robinson and his dedication

to basketball and his younger sister one year after

losing his grandmother, grandfather, and mother in

a span of 25 days. The video includes footage from

Brewster and is available at www.espn.com.

Morgan Huntley’s ‘00 company Vanquish Boats

was the featured cover story in the October issue

of Soundings magazine. In the article, Huntley talks

about his passion for boatbuilding, his designs, and

his vision for the company he founded in 2010.

Visit www.vanquishboats.com to learn more about

Huntley’s boats.

Jordan Weaver ’11, a freshman at Syracuse

University, is the communications director for

Students for Solvency. This national non-profit

organization educates young voters on the threat of

the national debt and advocates for fiscal reforms

necessary for the long-term health of the United

States. Weaver, former editor of the Brewster

Browser, is studying journalism at Syracuse.


Head of School Mike Cooper opened the annual Trey Whitfield

Memorial Celebration with a warm welcome to Brewster’s

“extended family” from the Trey Whitfield School in Brooklyn,

New York. Trey’s parent’s, AB Whitfield and Janie Whitney, brought

friends, faculty members, and the Trey Whitfield School Choir to this

celebration of Trey’s life. Cooper described today as the year’s “best All

School.”

Cooper remarked, “Every year I walk away from this event with a

renewed sense of purpose and direction.” With a nod to Brewster’s

inclusion of emotional intelligence, Cooper noted that he was in a pretty

good place on the mood meter when he reflects upon this event.

Guest speaker Steve Promislo ’88 brought tears to more than a few eyes

when he recalled memories of his friendship with Trey and their time

together on and off the basketball court. He talked of his “dynamic,

charismatic, and charming” friend who had an amazing ability to relate to

everyone on Brewster’s campus. “I loved Trey, and I miss him, but I’m so

glad the world is a better place because he was here.”

True to form, the choir gave a heartwarming and energizing performance,

bringing our students to their feet and in some cases, up onto the stage.

Whitney spoke at the conclusion of the event and left our captivated

students with this thought, “At Brewster nothing is more important than

the relationships you form; take those with you in life.”

Following the All School, former Brewster Dean Joyce Ferris thoughtfully

commented, “We know when our moments in life are good ones. We need

to remember, however, to look back and cherish those moments.”

By Beth Hayes ‘81

Trey Whitfield ’89 Memorial CelebrationThe Year’s “Best All School”


Resplendent with a red carpet, gold starred walls, celebrity teachers, a martini bar, and fabulous donations displayed throughout – this was last fall’s auction fashioned after the

Academy Awards to raise funds for Brewster’s Annual Fund.

Cooking witH A PurPoSE For the past 13 years, Brewster parents Don and Bev Clements (Jessica ’02, Jennifer ’07) have opened their Crescent Lake home to a group of Brewster students for a Thanksgiving-style dinner. “Winter Feast” has become one of the most sought after items at Brewster’s fall auction.

The concept is simple: The Clements offer a home-cooked turkey dinner, with all the fixins’, for one lucky student – and his or her entire dorm! A bidding war ensues at the live auction and a generous family purchases the dinner for their child’s dorm. The proceeds benefit Brewster’s Annual Fund.

Don is famous for his stuffing and potatoes; Bev is a gourmet baker, and no student leaves without a goody bag of cookies and bars to enjoy later. The feast is served family style around a large table on Bev’s grandmother’s china, and Jessica and Jennifer join the fun.

This year, the item was so popular, the Clements kindly allowed Brewster to double the offer. Over the past 13 years, the Winter Feast has raised more than $50,000 for Brewster Academy!

fooD for tHougHtFor anyone who has raised teenagers, it should be no surprise that auction items involving food are extremely popular. Another premier item at this year’s auction was donated by Brewster’s athletic Equipment Room Manager Angelo “G-Lo” Varrone. G-Lo’s Italian feast for 10, with many recipes derived from his Italian-born mother, was the top bid of the night, selling for an impressive $11,500 – times two!

HomEmADE touCHBrewster’s faculty and staff support the auction in a variety of ways, including homemade contributions such as jams, gift baskets, and cookies. This year, a group of faculty and staff knitted a one-of-a-kind afghan that kicked off the live auction.

ExotiC ESCAPESAfrica; Bermuda; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Park City, Utah; Summerland Key, Florida; Topsail Island, North Carolina. A wide variety of travel options were up for bid at this year’s auction thanks to the generosity of our Brewster families.

So muCH morE!All told, this year’s auction featured 159 items and raised more than $105,000 for the Annual Fund. Brewster is grateful to the many donors and volunteers who make this auction an annual success. Special thanks go to auction co-chairs, Josephine Grayson (Bradley ’14), Darla Monzione (Bella ’15), and Raquel Rogers (Ashley ’13) and auctioneer Bill Zafirson (Blake ’11).

By Kristy Kerin

Trey Whitfield ’89 Memorial CelebrationThe Year’s “Best All School”

A night With the StarsA Red Carpet Evening Supports Brewster’s Annual Fund

By the Numbers

By THE nuMBErS

250people attended “A Night With the Stars”

$105,000total raised at the 2011 auction proceeds benefit the Annual Fund

159number of items donated to the live and silent auctions

75martini glasses purchased for the iPad raffle

$50,000raised by the Winter Feast over the past 13 years

23plus volunteers who made the evening a success

G-Lo’s Italian Dinner was the high bid at the auction.

Makers of the afghan: Maya Pettit-Scott, Linda Larson, Ellissa Popoff, Allie Cooper, Andrea Cooper, Raylene Davis, Jan Kaskiewicz, Kate Turner, and Robin Found.

RoadBrewster

On The

EuropeOctober 2011 – The Class of 1954 has been at it

again! Brewster classmates and friends, spouses, and

guests, shipped out for a 15-day Grand European

Tour with Viking River Cruises this past October.

Alumni on the trip included David Carlson ’54,

Jean (Douglas) orr ’54, Larry Thurrell ’54, husband

and wife Stuart Stinchfield ’54 and Jean (Clough)

Stinchfield ’59, Bob Harrington ’53, and Jack

reever ’60. Joining the group from Brewster’s Alumni

Office was Beth Hayes ’81.

BostonOctober 2011 – Faculty, alumni, and parents

gathered on the banks of the Charles River to cheer

for Brewster’s varsity 1 boat in the 47th Head of the

Charles Regatta. Overall the Bobcats finished 45 out

of 77 boats in 18:33.73 for the three-mile race.

Brewster has been a mainstay at this competition

over the past few years and is considered to be

among the elite throughout the region. “This is a

huge event for us,” said head coach nick Docter ‘97.

“The kids look forward to this race all year and it is

just so exciting to be part of an event this big on a

national level.”

Following the Rhine, Mein, and Danube Rivers,

the cruise began in Holland and traveled through

Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and ended in Hungary.

“The sites and sounds, and the people and places

were amazing, to say nothing of the cuisine,” Hayes

reported. “The most unforgettable part of the journey,

however, was how much this group of alumni and

friends enjoyed taking this journey together. “

To read a daily blog of the group’s adventures go to

http://www.brewsteracademy.org/Class-of-1954.

Martha Trepanier ‘83 and Kate Turner, associate

athletic director, took photos and caught up

with a few alumni, including former rower David

neiman ’11 and Abi Putnam ‘00. Bob and Maureen

Simoneau, whose son James ’07 rowed for Brewster,

cheered rowers from the finish line. “We are so

fortunate to be able to be a part of this,” noted Matt

Lawlor, director of athletics. “To have these alums

and faculty make the trip to this race is great; Bobcat

Nation is very much alive today!”

Globetrotting Bobcats tour Melk, Austria, on the Grand European Tour.


Saudi ArabiaOctober-November 2011 – Admission officer Jay

Anctil travelled to Saudi Arabia in October to attend

the Saudi Aramco Schools Fair. His trip included

attending a school fair at the Dhahran Middle

School where he had the opportunity to talk about

the Brewster program with Aramco families and

interview prospective students. Within the Aramco

company, there are four different school regions:

Dhahran, Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, and Udhailiyah, each of

which had students interested in Brewster.

AsiaNovember 2011 – For the past three years, Jim Bastis,

director of alumni and development, has travelled to

Asia to visit parents and alumni. This past November

he made the trip again, this time to Korea and China.

In Seoul, the Korean Parents’ Association hosted a

dinner for his visit. Beau Jackson ’87, an English

teacher in Seoul, joined them for dinner.

Currently, five students whose parents work in Saudi

Arabia attend Brewster. Their families – the Smiths,

Fords, Turners, Johnsons and Gardiolas – held two

Brewster receptions, providing an opportunity for

prospective families to inquire about Brewster with

Jay and current families.

The Admission Office sends a big thank you to

these families for hosting the receptions and for

promoting Brewster in Saudi Arabia.

Jim’s next stop was Shanghai where he visited with

the parents of students from this region on the East

China Sea. He then took a bullet train west to visit

with families from the Hangzhou region.

Hong Kong and nearby Shenzhen were next where

he met with both parents and alumni. In Hong Kong

Mark Wong ’92, Howard Kwong

’99, and Lauren Lok ’99 joined

Jim for dinner. The China visit

concluded with a trip to Beijing

for a final get-together with

Beijing parents.

Brewster currently has 34

students from Korea and China.

TexasJanuary 2012 – Martha Trepanier ’83 visited with

Texan Bobcats including Laurence Seiterle ’90,

Bob Bishop ’47, reagan Jobe ’01, Jack Pilon ’11,

and Mitch Wolfe ’00. Wolfe is partnering with the

Alumni and Development Office to coordinate

a Dallas Brewster alumni chapter. Watch for an

invitation to an upcoming Dallas event! Seiterle, a

commercial real estate developer, will visit campus

this spring to speak with the Brewster Business Club

about his entrepreneurial ventures and watch a boys’

lacrosse game. Maria-Dulce Smith (far left) and Walter Smith (Sarah ’05, Max ’12) hosted a gathering at their Ras Tanura home for current and prospective families.

Kori Gatta ’03, Danah Gordon ’04, Jasmine Hamlor ’04, Bri Gatta ’05, and Kat Knarr ’05 catch up at a New York City alumni reception.

New York City

January 24, 2012 – New York City area alumni and

friends gathered at Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant

on 47th Street for a fun evening of catching up and

reminiscing. Thank you to Bri Gatta ‘05 for her help

in organizing the evening. Keep an eye out for the

next NYC area gathering and join us!

Martha Trepanier ’83 and Laurence Seiterle ‘90 in San Antonio.

Jim Bastis, Beau Jackson ’87, and the Brewster Bobcat enjoyed a dinner hosted by the Korean Parents’ Association.


By Kristy Kerin

Brewster thanks its challenge donors:David Carlson ’54, Tony Leitner ’61, Candace Crawshaw ’64,

David Hunter ’90, Mitch Wolff ’90, Ronn Bronzetti ’92, Stephanie O’Connor Leahey ’92, and Dan and Kathy Mudge P’98, ’02.

www.brewsteracademy.org/giving

This year Brewster celebrates its 125th anniversary and one group of alumni and parents hopes to commemorate this

milestone in a special way. Armed with the belief that a school is only as strong as the commitment of its alumni, they have joined together to sponsor a generous challenge. They are calling it the Strength in Numbers Challenge and the goal is simple: to increase alumni participation in Brewster’s Annual Fund.

This year, if at least 600 alumni make a

gift to Brewster, a group of challenge

donors will give Brewster $100,000.

Simple, right? According to Annual Fund Director Beth Hayes ’81, “It is simple! To count for the challenge, alumni simply have to make a gift to Brewster of any size, to any area of their choosing. Last year, 8 percent of alumni made a gift to Brewster. These challenge donors believe we can do better, and they have offered this generous challenge to help us spread the word that alumni participation really matters.”

“We know that Brewster alumni love their school,” said Martha Trepanier ’83, associate director of development. “We know this by talking with alumni and hearing their stories. Brewster has made a significant impact on so many alumni across the decades, and it is time for us to join together as alumni to say thank you. Alumni giving is vital.”

Alumni giving is particularly vital for a school like Brewster with a limited endowment and the significant operational costs of a boarding school. Brewster’s endowment per student is only a fraction of that of its peer schools, yet Brewster stretches its resources to offer competitive financial aid, attract top-notch faculty, and maintain its stunning campus.

“Education is fundamentally a people business,” said Lisa Braiterman, chief financial officer. “Sixty percent of our total budget is directed to people – financial aid for talented students and personnel costs. Very little of that funding comes from endowment, so we must look for other sources of support.”

Ronn Bronzetti ’92 and Stephanie O’Connor Leahey ’92 are co-chairing their 20th Reunion Committee and they are two of the Strength in Numbers Challenge sponsors. “I consider myself fortunate to have attended Brewster and I feel compelled to give back so that other students might enjoy the same type of educational opportunities that I did,” Bronzetti shared. “More than a fundraising effort, the Strength in Numbers Challenge is really about people. It is about honoring the teachers and coaches who supported us while we were at Brewster, and it is about the kind of impact that we can make as alumni to ensure that Brewster Academy’s best days lie ahead.”

Leahey adds, “As a parent, I often reflect on turning points in my life. Attending BA was a key decision that changed the trajectory of my life. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to attend a school with a safe and nurturing environment that allowed me to be a better

version of myself. I feel I owe it to give back. “

Gifts to Brewster’s Annual Fund support every aspect of the school. Alumni contributions help Brewster support financial aid for deserving

students, attract and retain top faculty, offer a competitive athletics program, maintain its idyllic campus, and create a top-notch learning environment. Donors may choose to direct their gifts to a specific area or program of their choosing, and they may make gifts in honor of a favorite faculty member, mentor, or coach.

Dan Mudge, chair of the board of trustees and Brewster parent (Tapley-Ann ’98 and Ashley ’02) shared his reasons for supporting the challenge: “I want to give back, so that deserving young students, who otherwise might not have the chance, now will have an opportunity to build a solid foundation for their future. Seeing young Brewster graduates succeed is a rewarding feeling. Brewster needs alumni support to continue its mission. Every gift will help make a difference.”

Alumni have until June 30 to make a gift to support the Strength in Numbers Challenge.


FrIDAy, JunE 125th and 50th Reunion Class Dinners

Class Gatherings, organized by individual classes, check www.brewsteracademy.org/reunion2012 for information

Late Night Snacks at Estabrook

SATurDAy, JunE 2Kayaks, Canoes, Sailboats

All-School Assembly

Alumni Cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee

Lunch in the Estabrook

Tennis Round Robin

Lobster Bake Under the Tent Overlooking the Lake

Music and Dancing at Pinckney Boathouse

NEW Bonfire

Dorm rooms available Friday and Saturday nights

SunDAy, JunE 3Brunch at Pinckney Boathouse

FAMILy-FrIEnDLy WEEKEnD!Children under 12 eat and sleep for free on campus

Babysitting information available by request

rEturn to CAmPuS

rEunion 2012

June 1-3


HOOPLAby Matt Hoopes

In his introduction to the Academy’s 1975 catalog,

then headmaster David Smith wrote that the

“strength of Brewster Academy is its faculty.” I had

just arrived on campus and was very taken by that

statement. The publication continued by devoting

a full page, containing a portrait photograph and a

detailed resume, of each faculty member – all 15 at

that time. At the time many boarding schools were

judged by the loyalty and longevity of their faculty

and staff. Alumni often returned to a school primarily

to seek out a former teacher, introduce their spouse,

and playfully warn them that their son or daughter

would soon be arriving to disrupt their classroom.

As Brewster celebrates the 125th anniversary of

John Brewster’s endowment of the Academy, we

pay tribute to faculty and staff members who have

contributed their talents for at least one fifth of that

time span. Their recollections offer reminders of how

much the school has grown and changed over the

past quarter-century. They also point out, modestly,

each in his or her way, how they helped make the

school what it is today.

Matt Hoopes was a faculty member from 1975 to 1996. During this time he and his journalism students founded

The Brewster Browser and the Outcroppings literary magazine. Since his “retirement” from the classroom in

1996, Hoopes has worked as the alumni correspondent from his hilltop banana farm on the island of Eleuthera,

The Bahamas, helping to keep the alumni connection alive. In each issue he brings life-after-Brewster stories to

the pages of his Hoopla column.

The Quarter-Century ClubNine faculty and staff members reflect on 25-plus years of living, learning, and leading in the Brewster community.

Do you have your copy of The Brewster Story: A Definitive History of Brewster Academy by robert and Shirley richardson?

order online: www.brewsteracademy.org/thebrewsterstory


HOOPLA

T.J. Palmer came to Brewster from a junior boarding school (The Rectory School)

where he had one weekend off a month. “I was surprised at how much time off

I had at Brewster. Rectory scheduled every minute of the day whereas Brewster

didn’t, but then the days began filling with non-scheduled times: more extra

help, longer athletic practice times, and teaching at the high school level meant

more class prep time. The first fall ... three course preps, soccer (with an assistant

who didn’t have cleats), and a dorm parent in Sargent Hall meant a very busy

schedule, especially for a newlywed!”

In WHAT WAyS Do you FEEL THE BrEWSTEr

MoDEL IMProvED THE SCHooL AnD your

WorK? The foundation of the Model fit my view of teaching from the very

beginning. I hated to lecture. I always wanted students actively engaged. Cabinet

meetings, debates, and court trials where students are active is fun and exciting

for the students and me. I love the competitive nature of these activities. I had

to get used to the massive preparation required outside of class, but I really

enjoy when the students both learn a lot and enjoy learning. The Model greatly

improved the school as the teaching faculty became more professional in their

thought as to what they were teaching and why they were teaching it.

In coaching the same principals of the classroom fit the rink or the playing

field. As a coach you review the previous game, consider the areas of weakness

that we want to work on, and then set up drills that effectively work on those

weaknesses. And, you can never forget the fun element. Input from the players

is always important, and that same input comes from the students in the

academic setting with the Model. In my view there no longer is a Model – it is

just Brewster!

WHAT Do you ConSIDEr To BE your GrEATEST

ConTrIBuTIon To THE SCHooL?

One contribution has been bringing varsity hockey back to Brewster from a

long hiatus after Pop Whalen (Brewster’s legendary athletic director) left. Pop

built some great teams back in the 1960s, but times had changed and there

were doubts whether a respected team could be formed at Brewster, especially

given the hockey facilities offered by our competitors. Now we have earned the

respect of the Lakes Region teams and other top programs in New England and

play them every season – schools including Phillips Exeter, Phillips Andover, and

Cushing, to name a few. Recently we beat South Kent (twice), one of the top 10

New England teams this year.

Another contribution was running the first Model dormitory and being a Team

Leader when the Model was first implemented in the early 1990s. I worked

closely with Dr. Alan Bain, former associate headmaster and architect of the

Model, and produced my portfolio with his guidance. I learned a great deal from

TJ Palmer, Bobcat Since 1987History Teacher, Coach

him during that work, and I believe he learned a lot from me about the reality

of teaching and dorm parenting in the ‘trenches’ every day. As a result of our

collaboration, I became more convinced that great teaching is one part proven

best practices and two parts a real “feel” for what works and what doesn’t.

A 25-yEAr FACuLTy MEMBEr By THE nuMBErS 1,260 hockey practices

150 weekend duty assignments

54 hockey pre-game meals at the Palmer’s

48 coaching seasons of soccer, hockey, baseball, and softball

34 “Varsity III” soccer coaching victories

18 years as a hockey coach

7 Faculty “loaner” computers

2 Yearbook dedications

3 days my wife spent in Wolfeboro not employed by Brewster Academy

0 teachers who have been at Brewster longer than me


HOOPLA

I remember visiting Brewster with my soon-to-be-husband TJ Palmer for his

on-campus interview. As the fiancée, I was encouraged to attend, and I thought

it was “nice” for the school to include me in the visit. Now that I know what

the expectation and commitment of being a boarding faculty member is, I

understand the importance for the school to know what a family can bring to

the community.

The strong sense of community and people who seemed to really enjoy being a

part of something intense was evident early, and for me the idea of living with

a lot of people and sacrificing some privacy was normal (I grew up in a family of

eight with one full bathroom!).

Then headmaster David Smith indicated that there was likely “something for

me to do” within the community, and I called upon that vague promise

about three weeks into the school year. I started working for Brewster in the

Development Office, which was a two-person operation at that time. I had no

direct experience but had always been a good event planner and had a strong

customer-relationship background, which was quickly put to good use.

David was a great mentor for me. We were both problem solvers in nature and

relished in the resolution of a strategic puzzle. I loved the process of getting

to know our families, alumni, and prospective students. It’s a very rewarding

job to meet a student at his or her most nervous moment (interviewing) and

then watch him or her grow over the years and finally walk across that stage at

Commencement with a sense of pride and accomplishment in which we all get

to share .

There have been many challenging times on the job. The current economic reality

and its impact on enrollment has been one of the most challenging. While many

schools decreased their enrollment goals, Brewster has actually seen a rise in our

enrollment, a testament that our program has much value in today’s world.

Our impact on students’ growth and maturation is a reflection of great

leadership (historically and currently) that is foundationally firm but willing

to adapt to ensure that our program always remains relevant as well as a

commitment from individuals who give so much to the students to whom they

feel privileged to teach.

Over the years, Brewster has remained committed to teaching a variety of

learners. We really do celebrate that responsibility here, and our students know

it. They each matter individually, and collectively they are stronger for it. I

think that many other schools struggle with who they are and who they serve,

and without that definition, it’s difficult to do the job well in admissions. The

only change to our selectivity has been in realizing the emphasis on student

expectation and thus a stronger focus on what we call the “good kid factor” as a

high priority in the application process. When you have such an emphasis as we

Lynne Palmer, Bobcat Since 1987Director of Admission and External Affairs

do in collaborative and cooperative learning, it is a must to bring students who

care about learning and appreciate the value of working hard.

Still, there are times that test the rewards of the job: when there are just not

enough resources in financial aid to make Brewster possible for more deserving

families, when you know you have to break a heart with a decision, or watch the

departure of someone who wasn’t quite ready for the experience as you thought.

I think my greatest contribution to Brewster, professionally, has been my

involvement in the implementation of our Leadership Athletics Program. Our

focus on integrating recruitment efforts with institutional support has brought

highly talented student athletes to our community, balanced our gender

representation, and exposed Brewster Academy at a global level that raises our

reputation overall.

Personally, it has been the relationships forged with alumni, parents, students, and

partners in enrollment that have enriched my experiences. Receiving the phone

call from an excited first-time father or watching the marriage of someone you

watched mature is one of the most rewarding moments “on the job.”

Looking back on 25 years astounds me. How did it go so fast? Brady upcoming

graduation will close another chapter for the Palmer’s – bittersweet feeling at

Commencement will be a little heavier this year.

25 yEArS By THE nuMBErS: 7,514 applications reviewed

820 student interviews

21 countries and 32 states visited


My first day at Brewster was truly daunting. I had never taught at a school

that devoted so much time to preparing for the opening of school, and I felt

overwhelmed with it all. I could appreciate how the efforts would make for a

much smoother start to the year for students, but I will never forget the feeling

of struggling to process it all at once. It sticks with me to this day and always

makes me very sensitive to the experience of new faculty.

During my early years I watched the school grow slowly, year by year, but the

real enrollment increases came with the reorganization of the school into the

Model’s small teams of students, which I found to be a wonderful way to work

with students. It allows you to really focus on the students with whom you are

working and allows more time to build relationships.

I have been pleasantly surprised each year to find that I have ample

opportunities to get to know students. Initially, I worried that an administrative

role might limit these opportunities or that my role would become overly

focused on working with students only when they got into trouble,

but this has not been the case. Of course, I am in my element when I

am teaching a class and doing that is one way of staying connected to

students. There is something magic about Brewster’s students. They are

so open and accepting that relationships seem to develop naturally, and

I find myself still very involved in the lives of students and grateful to

have it that way.

Over the years, changes in the school’s physical plant allowed for more

needed classroom space. I was a little saddened to see the familiar

give way to a new look as changes took place, and I still catch myself

reminiscing when I walk past the space that used to be the late Peter

Friend’s classroom or the old computer lab. When I walk into what is

now our Tech Office, I get a twinge of nostalgia remembering this was

the space where I first taught 10th grade English. I can still see Heather

vaillancourt ‘90 talking about the “Allegory of the Cave” when we read

The Republic or John Gibbs ‘90, Eric Kanov ‘90, and Jon Davenport ’90 working

on a project of Utopian literature. There are so many memories of old rooms

behind new doors.

The growth in facilities hasn’t changed my work as much as technology has,

however. Although the printing press made access to materials easier and did

much to standardize spelling, surely it made the world seem very different to

anyone who lived during its introduction and evolution. Computers and the

Internet have changed how much we can know and how quickly we can access

information, and they have given us completely new ways to acquire learning.

They have changed how we connect to each other in ways that are at once

wonderful and horrifying – at least if you are an old lady! And they change how

Marilyn Shea, Bobcat Since 1987Academic Dean

I work largely because they keep

changing, so I must, in turn, keep

changing. It’s exciting. And some

days it’s exhausting!

With the arrival of the Model I felt liberated to do so much of what my instincts

had always told me was the best way to teach. At its heart, the Model asserted

that all students can learn if given the right curriculum and materials and the

time needed to learn as well as being frequently assessed to discover what they

have learned and what they still need to master. I disliked the idea that I needed

to fail a few students if my grading was to be taken seriously by colleagues. And

it seemed to me an unfortunate paradox to put a deadline on learning and tell

a student he or she needs to get it right the first time. What was wrong with

letting students get retested? Isn›t the point that you learn? It felt to me as

though schools were places where learning was secondary to the race. So I guess

I was simply already posed to embrace the tenets of the Model. I really found

very little in it that did not reinforce what I already believed. In the early years,


HOOPLAI often wondered if the concerns about it came more from efforts to define it

rather than the program itself. I think it’s fair to say it was an initiative that took

hold and one that has served Brewster very well.

Looking back over these past many years, I wonder

how my life might have been different if I had never

come to Brewster? I arrived at Brewster in 1987,

having just turned 40. I was hardly a youngster, and

I had some useful experience behind me. I had done

enough things to know that teaching satisfied me

more than anything else. It never occurred to me

that I was actually still working at growing up. The people here, and community I

joined, led me to discover what it feels like to completely invest, not just because

I wanted to do a good job, or because I really like kids, but because every person

I worked with was part of my community. I knew by the end of my second year

here that I had no desire to move on to any other school, because I had landed

where I really wanted to be.

At first, the attraction was a kinship with colleagues,

a feeling that the school was led by someone I

truly respected, and the most wonderful bunch of

students I had ever worked with. The attraction

evolved into a changed perspective on what I really

think great teaching is about, however. It isn’t about

reading the right novels and mastering chemistry.

It›s about what can happen to you while you are

doing that if you are in the right kind of school. I came to realize that, for me,

making whatever contribution I could make as a teacher would come from

joining a community, committing to it, and working through the magical kind of

fellowship that happens when you do that.

Nearly 25 years after graduating from Brewster, Gail Antonucci left her job as

deputy town clerk of Wolfeboro and returned to Brewster to work in the Business

Office. She enjoyed reconnecting with her former teachers when they called

with questions regarding payroll or retirement plans. At this time, the Business

Office was located in what is now the Academic Building conference room and

the faculty room was located in what is now the Dean of Students’ Office. Here

faculty would come for coffee, donuts, and cigarettes, she explained.

As the number of students increased, the Business Office moved to the Goodwin

Building and finally to its present location in Cate House on South Main Street.

Gail noted that by moving out of the Academic Building, she and her office

workers lost the closeness to the students that

they had all enjoyed. As the workload increased,

more Business Office employees were hired,

whom Gail trained, while she continued her

role as payroll and benefits coordinator.

Over the past 27 years Gail has been both

proud and pleased to represent Brewster

Academy to the community in which she has

lived all of her life. She loves her work, the

people with whom she’s worked, the school

itself – and golfing in the Bobcat Open!

Gail Antonucci ’61, Bobcat Since 1985Payroll and Benefits Coordinator

I knew by the end of my second

year here that I had no desire to

move on to any other school ...


Bob Simoneau, Bobcat Since 1985Foreign Language Teacher, Business Manager 1986-2009Bob Simoneau’s long trek from California to New Hampshire in a 10-year-old VW

Microbus was just the beginning of a long, exciting, and continuing Brewster career.

Bob had spent every summer between 1950 and 1972 at his parents’ summer

home in nearby Ossipee. During the early summer of 1985, his cousin, local

businessman Cliff Simoneau, introduced Bob to Headmaster David Smith,

noting that in addition to teaching French, Latin, and Spanish, Bob also had a

background in public municipal financing at the state and local school levels.

It wasn’t long after that that Bob received a job offer to teach Latin and Spanish

part-time at Brewster.

Bob, his wife, Maureen, Andre (13), Paulo (9), Maureen’s son Michael (5), and

their daughter Megeen (18 months), along with their Italian greyhound, Wags,

piled into their 1975 VW pop-top camper and their 1976 Toyota Corona

and began the cross-country trip to New Hampshire.

Although the VW camper broke down in Wyoming and they had to rent

a truck to tow it (they were sleeping in it at night), the Simoneau family

arrived on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee just six days late.

With a resume that included assistant superintendent of schools for

the Compton Unified School District and deputy director of the Office

of Economic Opportunities for then California Governor Jerry Brown, it

was not long before Bob was tapped for the assistant business position.

Within a year, he became the business manager for the Academy.

“When I first arrived, I found the setting of the campus on the edge of

the lake to be charming, but once I became assistant business manager,

I became very familiar with the amount of deferred maintenance. With

student admissions growing in excess of 25 percent per year, the new dorms, now

Spencer, Mason, Hughes, Vaughan, Lamb, and Harris were quickly constructed.”

Prior to leaving San Pedro, California, Bob and Maureen had purchased an old

church parsonage in Wolfeboro Falls, which they moved into on their arrival. They

had planned to eventually run it as a B&B, however, changes in the town’s zoning

laws did not allow the B&B to become a reality. Instead of hosting tourists, the

parsonage became an off-campus dormitory, and in the 12 years they remained

owners, Bob and Maureen were dorm parents to 48 students.

For 17 years David Smith and Bob worked closely together, taking on the financial

master plan, investing in a rainy day fund, working with the state legislature

to permit non-profit schools to use municipal bonding, and working to ensure

financial viability for the Academy.

This included bond refinancing,

enabling the completion of the

Wilson Center, renovating family and

student housing, and the expansion

of the Estabrook Dining Hall and the Spaulding-Emerson Student Center.

For the past 12 years, Bob and Maureen have been dorm parents in Holmes

House (more commonly referred to as Simoneau House). Since stepping down

from his position as business manager in 2009, Bob has returned to his love of

teaching languages, and Maureen continues in her role as assistant librarian.

Brewster Academy is indeed fortunate to have had the services of this devoted

couple, and is fortunate that both continue to work with students.

27 yEArS By THE nuMBErS: 9,000 classes taught

275 ELS classes taught

10 languages spoken


HOOPLA

I reported to the Emerson Student Center, which was housed in the Rogers

Gymnasium, for my first day on the job, somewhat nervous, not really knowing

what to expect. We were gathered there for the new faculty orientation

presentation, and I remember being introduced to Julie and Kevin Bradley,

Wendell Shaffer, and Dick Fahy.

One fond memory I had from those early days is of the late Peter Friend, chair of

the English Department. I was walking down the main hallway in the Academic

Building and evidently had the “deer in the headlights expression.” Peter stopped

me and asked “How are you doing, Kate?” Tears welled up in my eyes as he guided

me into the faculty room, which was then in what is now the Dean of Students’

Office. He gave me a pep talk and told me that he had heard many good things

about my work. I’m positive that he hadn’t heard a word about me, but it got me

through my early insecurities, and I always remember him fondly for that.

This was 1986 and the school enrollment was about 240 students. I knew them

all by name prior to Thanksgiving. The current enrollment of 364 students has

really affected my work, and I have loved the impact of the increased enrollment

on athletics, particularly for the girls. We have junior varsity teams in every

sport, which was not the case in the

earlier days. We now recruit athletes for

varsity level teams in many sports, but

we also have junior varsity teams where

beginners can compete, learn, and have a

meaningful athletic team experience.

When I came to Brewster, it never crossed

my mind that I would remain for more

than a couple of years. By nature, I’m

a person who relishes change and new

challenges. I imagined being at Brewster

until something different, more exciting

came along. Something different and

more exciting did come along – right at

Brewster. When the Brewster Model’s technology was introduced, I embraced it (to

this day my grandchildren call me Techno-Gran), and I continue to thrive on the

next Big Thing, whether it’s emotional literacy or Moodle. In fact, a couple of weeks

ago, I decided that I was bored with Facebook and am now moving on to Twitter.

Considering the growth of the school’s physical plant, the Smith Center has

impacted my job in uncountable ways. When we were all crammed into the

Rogers Gym, the Admission Office would tell their tour guides that unless

prospective students specifically asked to see the gym, it was okay to leave it

off the tour. Now the Smith Center is a highly featured stop. While Brewster

has always valued its sports programs and athletes, it wasn’t

that obvious with the gym that we had outgrown years before

the Smith Center became a reality. We now attract the critical

numbers of athletes that we need for viable teams with the

beautiful and functional center. Those who remember the old

weight room in Rogers, also remember that very few wanted to

use the area. There were a few diehard lifters, but I don’t recall ever

Kate Turner, Bobcat Since 1986Associate Director of Athletics

seeing a single girl working out in

that area. Now the entire school and

even the outside community uses

and enjoys the facility.

Although I embraced the Model, I

was skeptical about how it related

to athletics, but it has proven to be

a really effective tool for coaches to

evaluate and reward their players.

Prior to the Model, the coaches didn’t have a fair and systematic method to

evaluate their players. I would say that what filtered out of the Model for the

Athletic Department was its help with our overall recognition system.

If I had to cite just a single, fun addition I made, in all modesty, I’d have to say

that I have, or at least have tried to, liven up some of the sports assemblies with

my iMovies. I think the students look forward to them.

I would like to add that I have been extremely fortunate to have worked for

three different – very different – and excellent athletic directors – Bill Pottle (13

years), Doug Algate (11 years), and Matt Lawlor (2 years and counting!) The one

attribute that they have all shared is that they each have listened to me carefully

and have thoughtfully considered my opinions. All three gentlemen have made

my job one that I’m so grateful to have had for 26 years.

26 yEArS By THE nuMBErS: 831,006 miles Brewster “vans” have traveled to and from games; about 33 times around the earth!

6,394 buses hired and vans assigned for games

1,152 medallions ordered for MVP’s, MIP, and Coaches Award winners

78 sports awards assemblies organized (and 38 iMovies)

I have loved the impact

of the increased

enrollment on

athletics, particularly

for the girls. We have

junior varsity teams

in every sport, which

was not the case in the

earlier days.


I remember my first day as the Headmaster’s secretary. It was the middle of

September and classes had begun only about a week earlier. My desk sat pretty

much in the same location as it does today, but the office itself has gone through

many physical changes since. At this time, the Business Office was located

across from the Headmaster’s Office and there was always a lot of activity

with students and faculty coming and going. The floors in the hallway were not

carpeted, but were beautiful old wooden floors that creaked and groaned when

walked on so the noise level was something when classes changed, but I could

always tell when someone was coming. The mailroom was closed on Saturdays

so all the mail came in to the main office, and we sorted piles for students to

pick up.

Of course, being new it all felt a little

overwhelming the first few days, but everyone

was extremely nice, helpful, and patient while

I got familiar with my new job. I was used to

working in a school environment having just

moved from Connecticut with my husband

where I had worked in the Business Office of a

private day school for eight years. What I wasn’t

used to was the fact that at a boarding school

there are classes on Saturdays and no “snow

days” in the winter, but I also felt a greater sense

of community and family.

The changes and improvements over the years, especially in technology, have

greatly influenced my job. The first few years I worked at Brewster the secretaries

only had typewriters with a two-page memory capacity. If we were typing

anything longer than two pages, we had to make sure work was corrected and

revised before moving on to additional

pages. Everything was typed on carbon

copies, and I always had a dictionary and

bottle of whiteout handy for spell check

and corrections. The secretaries would have

to carry their typewriters to “Rip and Tear,”

which was the term used for grade report

night when the faculty would gather in

the old Kenison Library and faculty would seek out someone on a typewriter to

make any corrections before sending reports to parents. Today’s computers and

the portal have come a long way in making the offices more efficient and saving

our backs!

There have been many physical changes on campus as well. Before the third

floor of the Academic Building was renovated for the first year of the Brewster

Model, pigeons would fall through the old air ducts that ran through the walls. I’d

hear their cooing, open the grate, and release the pigeon out the side door. We

frequently had bats come to visit from the third floor as well but would call the

maintenance department to come with their net to catch these!

Susan nichols, Bobcat Since 1987 Secretary to the Head of School

When I first arrived at Brewster, the Development and Alumni

Office was located in a small building that had been the former

boathouse, which had been moved up from the lake and placed where the visitor

parking lot is now. It also housed the journalism studio on the second floor. The

building was eventually relocated to where it sits today as the Arts Building.

The completion of the Pinckney Boathouse, moving Chamberlin House across

campus, and the construction of both the

Wilson Center and the Smith Center are

just a few of the many additions I have seen

over the past 25 years.

I am grateful for all the opportunities I have

to work with and get to know so many

wonderful people here at Brewster. I’m now

in my second year of being a co-community life parent at Spencer House, which

offers an even greater opportunity for getting to know the students and being a

part of the Brewster family.

My children and I are forever grateful for being part of this extraordinary

community.

25 yEArS By THE nuMBErS: 125,000 phone calls answered

25,000 meetings scheduled

100 trustee meeting preparations

Pigeons would fall through the old air ducts

that ran through the walls. I’d hear their

cooing, open the grate, and release

the pigeon out the side door.


HOOPLA

25 yEArS By THE nuMBErS: 4,000 application folders read

400 student or faculty observations completed

102 independent schools have sought advice about Brewster’s Academic Support Program

We’ve picked up the pace and accomplished a lot in the 25 years that I have

been at Brewster. When I first arrived at Brewster as a learning skills teacher,

the Learning Skills Program was in its early stages of recognizing the importance

of meeting each student’s individual needs. My previous school specialized in

working with students with learning differences, and I knew within the first

week that I could help bring about changes that would advance student learning

because it was no longer acceptable to have one lesson plan to reach all students.

A few years after my arrival, Dr. Alan Bain was hired as the learning skills director.

Brewster was moving toward a more intentional, researched-based set of

practices and the learning skills faculty would attend a two-week pre-Brewster

Summer Institute training session to prepare to pilot practices that would be

implemented systemically. This was the year that I stepped into the role of

dean of Academic Support Programs, and Dr. Bain moved to assist in a

whole school reform known as the Brewster Model. The changes were

very directive, prescriptive, and evaluative. It was the art and craft of each

teacher that had been valued and now the direction was swinging toward

the science being of higher value.

I played a role in helping to establish a clearly defined set of expectations

by which we functioned from the admission stage through graduation. On

top of mastering educational best practices, teachers were expected to

use laptops as a tool for sharing and managing information. The objective

was for all teachers and students to have equal access to educational

tools so that when skills are taught students can practice them using

interactive software that best matches their learning styles while increasing

engagement. Since that time, technology has advanced to leveling the playing

fields for students with learning differences, and its integration has made learning

more interesting and interactive.

Excellent schools look for innovation and change that is rooted in best practices

that support student-based outcomes. The Model seemed to be the road map

that would guide us toward advancing student growth and performance. It

appeared to have all the right ingredients, however, with change came growing

pains that caused us to step back and reflect on our path.

Recognizing the importance of supporting newly hired teachers as they

transition into the boarding school environment, I have worked to implement

a Faculty Mentor Program. Its purpose is to promote a healthy attitude and

outlook on the teaching profession while fostering professional standards that

are embraced by all faculty.

Many independent schools throughout the years have asked how we do what

we do and my first response is that we have established a systemic and holistic

Kim ross, Bobcat Since 1987Dean of Academic Support Programs

approach that allows us to carry out

our mission to best serve students.

Our Instructional Support Program

has a long history of being one

of the strongest in the nation, because we have developed a fully integrated

approach to ensure students acquire academic, social, and emotional skills

necessary for success. We provide skills during individual sessions and then have

the student apply them in the classroom while we observe and provide feedback

necessary for change. I have been fortunate to work with so many talented

teachers who have become leading specialists in the field of education. There are

now 16 instructional support teachers, whose primary focus is supporting the

student to become an independent learner.

Brewster continues to stay on the leading edge in advancing students’ skills to

prepare them for success in college and the work place. As long as we remain

innovative, embrace diversity, celebrate abilities, and stay true to our mission

then all students will grow with confidence and self-assuredness.


25 yEArS By THE nuMBErS: 97 Browsers produced

3,629 Days worked in temperatures above 80 degrees

36,200 Personalized postcards sent to alumni

Having been a burned-out administrator of an all-male pre-prep school for 11

years prior to my arrival at Brewster, I was excited by the prospects of teaching

older students and especially looking forward to working with the attentive,

polite female students. To say that I was a tad shell-shocked by the end of the

first day would barely be an exaggeration.

I had been hired as a part-time employee with just two essay composition

courses to teach. By nightfall, however, I’d been awarded the positions of adviser

to the Student Court and to the yearbook. It was explained to me, briefly, that

to be a good teacher at Brewster, one had to be involved in everything and so I

found myself with nights of dormitory supervision as well as weekend duties. The

most distressing lesson of that first day was that I found the female students to

be less than attentive, and not necessarily polite. But it was only the first day,

things would improve.

I settled in and for the next 21 years I thoroughly enjoyed my involvement in

all sorts of extracurricular activities, including advising the Student Council,

the Class Gift Committee, and even helped students set up WBAR, the school’s

short-lived radio station. For more than 12 years I taught all the sophomore

English classes, some years with five sections.

When I arrived in 1975, the Academic Building, the Estabrook Dining Hall, the

Rogers Gymnasium, and the three dorms: Bearce, Brown, and Sargent comprised

all the school facilities. There was a tiny, one-room library, one science lab in

the basement of the Ac, and one small yellow school bus that broke down

regularly while transporting the two varsity and junior varsity teams we had

each season. Each dorm had one phone in the hallway and one black and white

TV in a cramped mini-lounge. The Estabrook kitchen provided a set menu per

meal, no optional choices. In comparison to Brewster today, it might seem like

we suffered, but with 118 students and just 15 faculty and staff members but we

were a small close-knit community in which everyone knew each others’ name

and personality. With so much work to do and with so few to do it, there was a

clear understanding that we all needed to pitch in for the benefit of the school.

Students helped out in the kitchen, in the dorms, and in the classrooms. Special

occasions such as Parents’ Weekend would find all 140 individuals working

toward the goal of preparing the entire campus for the event.

We had no idea that in the next 30 years the school would be transformed by

technology, major curriculum enhancements, and growth of the physical plant.

In that sense, perhaps, one could say ignorance is bliss, yet at the time I was very

content with what Brewster had and what Brewster was.

I think I’m most proud of what the students and I were able to do in the way of

student publication. With blessings from the English chair, the late Peter Friend,

I attempted to establish a journalism program. Admittedly, with no credit given

at first, it was a rough start, and yet when the first issue of our mimeographed

Outcroppings was published, we were off and running. The Browser (first known

as The Students’ Voice) followed the next year. We produced six issues a year,

sometimes with as many as 16 pages, including zinging editorials, often making

Matt Hoopes, Bobcat Since 1975Alumni Correspondent

the administration

cringe. The two

journalism classes

were busy as they also

produced the yearbook

and the BAPA (Brewster

Academy Publications

and Address) Book –

nine publications a year

with one typewriter

and zero computers.

According to our

yearbook printer in

1995, we were the

only school in New

Hampshire still using

the glue and paste

method of prepping pages. Definitely a change was needed, and I was not the

person to lead that change.

In 1996 with the arrival of computers that I didn’t know how to turn on,

I crossed Main Street and went to work for the Alumni Office. One of my duties

was to organize an event at which alumni who were still in college would return

and hold a meeting with the senior class, detailing the ins and outs of college.

At first these events seemed helpful and instructive, but as they later tended to

focus on the social side of campus life, I was told I no longer needed to organize

them. My position, however, as the alumni correspondent has been helpful in

keeping alums in touch with the school and with each other. I know I’ve certainly

enjoyed working with 37 years worth of alumni!

This is my 16th year of helping former student Beth Hayes ’81 with Reunion

Weekend, and while Beth does the brunt of the organizing and is a whiz at all the

details, she lets me pitch in and I truly love working with the gradually maturing

alums, meeting and getting to know their spouses and children. While it does

take a lot of effort to round up everyone for the three-day event of rehashing

good times and memories, it is so much fun to see all having such a great time,

teasing each other with early nicknames, and simply re-connecting and bonding

with Brewster.

In ending my memory jaunt, I should point out a pleasant twist of fate:

The scary computers that drove me from the classroom are now the friendly

ones that allow me to continue to work for Brewster from a much warmer clime.

Hopefully not all my marbles will roll away, at least not for a few more years, as I

still have more fascinating Hooplas to write.

Class Notes


1936

Cecil Wentworth writes: “My education at Brewster

was a major contribution to my success with the

Corps of Engineers and private consulting. I have

great memories, particularly of the professional

leadership of Mr. Sargent, Bob Page, and Miss

Hubbard. Retired on a farm in Brookfield and South

Berwick, Maine.”

1944

Lucille Macolino and husband celebrated 62 years of

marriage in November. “We have six grandchildren

and five great-grandchildren. We are very happy.

They all play sports.”

1945

Iris Paul lives in Redding, Connecticut, and she has

four grandchildren, ages 8 to 30.

1947

Bob Bishop and wife Carol are building a home in

Houston. He fondly recalled his all-time favorite

teacher Burtis Vaughan and performing in the play

Our Town with classmates.

Super Fans at a basketball game in the Smith Center. Among the Super Fans are David Pollini ’57, former teacher Mal Murray, Jackie (Lord) Murray ’54, David Douglas ’59, Grace (Campbell) Douglas ’58, and Bruce Crowther ’64. Photo taken by Monie (Stevens) Zarinsky ’54.

1953

Leo Kravchuk writes: “I’m retired as a special

agent with the Criminal Investigation Division

of the Internal Revenue Service and also retired

as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Enjoying my retirement – family, traveling, and

oenology.”

1959

Jane (Clow) Smalley writes: “I enjoy traveling and

I just returned from a trip to Russia and Mongolia;

the Hermitage in St. Petersburg; and the Kremlin in

Moscow, including five days riding the Trans-Siberian

Railroad to Mongolia. We went horseback riding for

several days and slept in tents in the snowy Altai

Mountains in western Mongolia. We also enjoyed

meeting the families living on the steppes – the

seemingly endless grasslands that went on forever

– herding their yaks, goats, and sheep. We had our

meals in a ger, a round felt-like structure similar to

a yurt with a small stove for cooking and warmth.

We completed the trip by attending a festival to

watch the centuries-old traditions of eagle hunting.

The eagles are used to hunt small game, including

1948

Jacquellyn “Lynn” ryan-Cameron has two sons

and three grandchildren. “I moved recently from

Camarillo, California, (where I lived after I retired)

to Long Beach, California, to live closer to my

sons David and Garth Ryan. I just celebrated my

81st birthday and would love to reconnect with

classmates, especially Lucia Jutras, who was

my closest and dearest friend when I attended

Brewster.”

1950

Brad Barker and wife Sindy live in Chapel Hill, North

Carolina. He misses hearing news from the Class of

1950 and especially would like to hear from Paula

Garvey or Sylvia Gould Denton.

1951

Janet noland worked for the government at the

Pentagon and was assigned to Tokyo for two years,

where she met her husband through the U.S. Army.

She was married in Tokyo and was an Army wife in

Maryland, Texas, New Mexico, and Germany. Janet is

now retired and returned to New Hampshire in 1986.

Jane (Clow) Smalley ’59 recently travelled through Russia and Mongolia.

Experienced Alumni Recall Their Brewster Days

Recollections


Mildred Beach ’42

Wolfeboro

“The one reflection that stays with me is

that while there have been many changes at

Brewster over the years, the beautiful view

of Lake Winnipesaukee and the Belknap

Mountain Range, as seen from the campus,

remains the same.”

Nancy Hoppe ’49

Largo, Florida

“When, in my senior year at Brewster, I was

assigned the part of Penelope in George

Kaufman’s play You Can’t Take It With You,

my love of acting was ignited and the flame

has never died.”

“I have never forgotten how Mrs. [Barbara]

Zulauf, Brewster’s drama director, among

many other talents, guided and supported

us in our roles and made it all seem so easy

and so much fun. And we did it all in that

beautiful place by the lake. Throughout my

life, any time a chance to act or encourage

acting has come up, I have been ready and

fortunate to participate.”

“And while every one of the characters

associated with my four years at Brewster

enriched my life, from teachers and staff to so

many friends and acquaintances, the process

has not ended. Every time I attend a reunion

it is always a gift to see my old friends from

so long ago, but it is just as thrilling to meet

new and often challenging actors like the two

Nancys (Nancy Greer and Nancy Moulton ‘65)

and the very special Matt Hoopes. I intend

to keep on coming back so I can embrace the

next exciting act.”

1971

Steve Morrissey of Wilmington, North Carolina,

credits his postgraduate year at Brewster for his

success in the technology business.

1976

richard Coupland is a civilian engineer at the Naval

Underwater Warfare Center in Newport, Rhode

Island. “I’ve been here since 1980, but I’ve done a lot

of different things, and I’m on about my third career

within the organization. I’ve been married to my

wonderful wife Lynne since 1984, and we’ve raised

two children. Paul, 25, has degrees in auto mechanics

and business (and has a job!). Katie, 22, graduated

from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in

environmental science.”

Mel Foster and wife Brenda enjoy wintering in

southwest Florida.

Thomas Trieschmann, wife Susan, and dog Taz live in

Illinois. Their son Trevor, 23, graduated from Indiana

University last May and daughter Anna, 20, is a

junior at Boston College.

1977

Eric Haucke claims he will attend his reunion next

June and is hoping someone can find former faculty

member Gary Waldron and drag him along! When

he wrote, he had just returned from canoeing

rabbit and fox. Experiences and sights like this made

Mongolia a very special place for me to visit.”

1961

Roland Rodrigues will be inducted into the Rhode

Island Interscholastic League’s Hall of Fame in May.

Roland was an outstanding member of Brewster’s

1960-1961 football team. A native of Bristol, Rhode

Island, he was a Providence Journal-Bulletin All-

State halfback and played football for the University

of Rhode Island. After college, he taught at Bristol

High School and became a legendary wrestling and

football coach.

1964

Don Grout and Dale Whittemore dated during their

freshman and sophomore years at Brewster. After his

sophomore year, Don returned to his hometown in

Massachusetts to attend school while Dale stayed

Brewster and graduated with her class. Don entered

the U.S. Navy, married and raised a family. He retired

in 1987 as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW04) after

24 years of service. After graduation, Dale married,

raised a family, and helped her husband start his

carpet business. During their 35th Class reunion,

they reunited, and in 2000, were married. In 2009,

Dale became the owner of Johnson Paint and

Wallpaper in Wolfeboro. Don and Dale have three

grown children and six grandchildren.”

richard Hildebrand retired from Yale University in

November 2011 after 14 years with the Athletic

Department and was looking forward to enjoying

retirement with his wife Carol and family.

1967

Eugene Fox returned to New Hampshire seven years

ago to again work in public education – counseling

students in course selection, college placement

testing, and college counseling. “I finally hung up

my soccer coaching jersey after 30 years off and on

the field. Ended with my best coaching record for a

season, coaching jv girls and assisting varsity with

a 14-0-1 record – thank you girls! Still skiing with

frat brothers and friends. Thanks to Brewster, Copple

Crown, and the view across the lake out my dorm

window at Gunstock.”

Steve Morrissey ’71 lives in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Class Notes


and fossil hunting in North Carolina and Virginia

with his brother. “I attempted several times to

contact Preston Williams ‘77 without luck. Jogging

and working out, I’m still at my Brewster weight

(although I couldn’t play soccer at age 17 either!).

Peter Lewin and wife Valerie live in Salisbury,

Connecticut, with their three cats: Dan, Jim, and

Brooklyn.

1978

Debbie Al-Harbi writes: “My daughter Naseem

works for Harvard University in international

relations and is studying there for her third degree.

Adam is studying to be a nurse, and Samuel is

studying economics. I was married 31 years in

December.”

Scott Mason writes: “Hi to all my old Brewster

friends! I’m living in Maine with the love of my life.

Proud father to two great kids and loving life.”

1979

Keith Magovern says hello to all his classmates. He

recently worked nights doing construction inspection

on New York City’s Triborough Bridge and writes:

“The views of the city during the full moon were

great.”

richard o’Brien writes that life is good. He is still

in Colorado, single with no children. He is sorry

he’s been out of touch for so long, but the last few

years had been kind of crazy. “My best years were at

Brewster. I loved that school!”

1980

Paige Livingston writes that she and her family

are in culture shock, having moved from Sydney,

Australia, where she lived for the past 21 years, to

Los Angeles. “Let’s see, I’m married, am an aging

hippie! My son Ziggy is 12, daughter Dexter is 10.

My hubby Thomas does special effects in film, and I

am a producer. Did a feature kids animation for TV

last year.”

community. Giving Charlotte the same opportunity

is the finest gift I can give her.”

1987

Charles “C.B.” Currier, wife Melissa, and twins

Charles and Eleanor, live in Stratham, New

Hampshire. “No politics for now. I am director

of engineering for network security appliance

manufacturer, Resilience. The twins turned 5 in

November and are in a great program here in New

Hampshire and life has stabilized nicely.” He is

focused on racing his Melgas 24 and cruising an

Albert 30 this season.

Tamah French-Proops writes: “So looking forward

to our reunion – can’t believe it’s been 25 years!

Hoping so many of us can celebrate together.”

Tamah’s third child, daughter Poppy, arrived in

December 2011.

James Gregg writes that he is recovering from an

injury and getting stronger every day. He is looking

forward to getting back to work. Last summer he

rode his bike to and from the beach along the coast

of Maine where he swims (with a wetsuit on!). His

family ties keep him very busy.

1981

Andrew Brennan lives in the high desert of Arizona,

not far from Sedona, and enjoys photography, target

shooting, and hiking. Catholic spiritually has become

important to him in recent years, and he recently

attended a mini-retreat at a monastery in northern

Alabama. He’s still single and is a consultant in the

digital media business.

1982

Bruce Boyarsky writes that life is going well. He has

four kids, the oldest soon to graduate from Boston

College. He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity

every year in the Gulf Coast. After receiving a

handwritten letter from one of his fellow workers –

the first one he’s received in 15 years (not counting

Hoopes’ postcards) – Bruce has started his own

letter-writing campaign, writing one letter a week to

people who have been important in his life.

1984

Steven Smith, a lawyer practicing in Palm Beach

Gardens, Florida, and a man of few words, wants

all to know that “Things are great. Morgan is 3 and

Stella is 2; I’m trying to keep my head above water.

Florida is pleasant, but miss New England.”

Wendel Wirth recently reconnected with news that

she sold her dog business in 2007 and that she will

complete her master’s in photography within the

year. She was planning a visit to the Bahamas in

March where she would try

to find Hoopes.

1985

rachel Garfield of Cary,

North Carolina, reports that

daughter Charlotte can’t

wait to become a Brewster

Bobcat. Rachel shared that

“My years at Brewster were

wonderful. I succeeded

academically and developed

into the person I am today

because of the faculty and Rachel Garfield ‘85 of Cary, North Carolina, and daughter Charlotte who is thinking of becoming a Bobcat.

Keep up with Alumni Bobcats of the Month at www.brewsteracademy.org.

Most recently featured were soccer players Shaka Pilgrim ’09 and Chanelle Roy ’08.


Krista Magnifico lives in Pennsylvania with husband

Joe and their three dogs, six cats and one pig. She

is a veterinarian and writes: “I’m busting my butt

trying to save the four-legged world!”

Emile “Anton” rainold is going to try and make the

25th Reunion. He and wife Tavi and son AJ are doing

well and still enjoying the Colorado mountains.

Anton enjoys hunting bull elk during archery season.

Adam renner writes: “My wife and I welcomed our

new boys Evan and Eli on September 25, 2011, and

they join their twin brothers, Caleb and Connor, 4.

Yes, you read right, two sets of twins ... To say our

life is chaotic would be an understatement.”

1989

Michael Snyder announced that after 22 plus years

Jennifer riley finally accepted his proposal for

marriage, and they’ve bought a home outside of

Boston.

Pun Chavalitdhamrong and Kristin “Kit” van

Wagner caught up over lunch in Bangkok. “I’m

spending four and a half months in Southeast Asia

working on a small expedition ship. Have quit the

desk jockey world forever – I hope!”

Matt Woodward and wife Monique restored a

historic house in the heart of Denver. Matt works in

technology, doing backup for corporate databases

and other systems. “If someone deletes something,

we get it back for them, maybe. I like it because

most of the time someone else makes the mistake

and has to come to us for help. The downside is that

no one notices you unless something goes wrong!”

1990

Jonathan DePeyer admitted that he prefers to keep

a low profile but has kept in touch with his former

roommates and has fond memories of his time at

Brewster. He earned a master’s in counseling at the

University of Laverne and counsels and coaches at

a private all-boys’ high school where he also works

with special needs students. Jon is a martial arts

instructor and has written a book, Rebuilding the

Foundation. He lives with his wife and one-year-old

son on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

David Hunter says: “Life is good! Daughter Peyton is

7 and daughter Eliza just turned 1.”

Mitch Wolff is a principal at the commercial real

estate firm Newmark Knight Frank in their Dallas

location. He and wife Carrie recently celebrated

daughter Channing’s first birthday. Mitch is

partnering with the Alumni and Development Office

to coordinate a Dallas Brewster alumni chapter. We

look forward to working with him and the chapter

in the coming months – watch for an invitation to a

Dallas event this spring!

1991

Jen (Feldman) Barkon, is living the American

dream in the middle of Los Angeles. “Husband Gil

and I have been married for seven years, which has

resulted in Eli, 5, and Sydney, 3, who are managing

to give it back to me ... in spades. All the Brewster

faculty can rest assured that I am getting what I’m

due! I’m climbing the corporate ladder (very tired)

and have left fashion (at least literally) for the

greener pastures of advertising and am very happy.

I’ve kept in touch with Susie Maggard and Mark

radley ‘90 and recently had dinner with Tim Smith

in San Francisco. All are doing fine!”

Elizabeth Dales wrote in last summer describing

life with her son Jack as very busy. At the time,

Jack was in computer camp, sailing lessons, and

preparing for an upcoming wilderness camp and a

Mystery PhotoBe the first alumna/us to tell us which faculty

member hosts this Uncle Sam in his or her

classroom and win an autographed copy of The

Brewster Story: A Definitive History of Brewster

Academy, by Robert and Shirley Richardson.

We had many alumni correctly identify the six

cheerleaders in last issue’s Mystery Photo but

Jane Clow Smalley ’59 was the first to do so.

Jane commented “I remembered every one of

the names before I went to my yearbook to look

for the picture! Amazing how it comes back to

us. I may not remember everyone who was on a

hike I led two weeks ago – but 52 years ago …”

The Bobcat cheerleaders in the 1959 photo were

(l to r): Posey (Leavitt) Funkhouser ‘61, Carol

(Johnson) Appleton ‘59, Betsy Fernald-Maier ‘61,

Mary (Glidden) Cleary ‘59, Helena “Joy” (Jutras)

Thurston ‘59, and Peggi (reissfelder) Smith ‘59.

Mitch Wolff ’s ’90 daughter Channing Elizabeth Wolff recently celebrated her first birthday.

Class Notes


week at Camp Belknap, just outside of Wolfeboro.

Beth attended her 20th Reunion last June and “loved

seeing everyone and have gotten together with

friends since. Brewster has made such an impact on

my life and continues to be a reminder of how many

wonderful people I made friends with – such a great

experience keeps on giving!”

Lesley Grinberg and husband Gyl welcomed Isabella

Rose on January 21. “She joins her two big brothers,

Ari and Max, in our wonderful family.”

Laurence Seiterle lives in San Antonio where he

works at Zurich US Properties. Laurence looks

forward to visiting campus this spring with wife

Jeannie and son Sebastian to watch a boys’ lacrosse

game and speak with the Brewster Business Club

about his entrepreneurial ventures.

Sebastian “Bastian”

Smallegange and wife

Heather live in Jupiter,

Florida, with their two

daughters, Alivia, 10, and

Isabella, 4. Bastian writes

that he is living in fantasy

land, building “monster

estates for the 1 percent

of the population that can

afford them!”

1992

Timothy Keating works

for American Eagle Airlines

at O’Hare International

Airport in Chicago.

Gregory McLean, wife Elizabeth, and children Declan,

2, and Mason, 1, live in Melrose, Massachusetts. Greg

still has “fond memories of the people I met, the

experiences I had, and the structure that Brewster

put in place for me to set goals and work hard to

achieve them.”

Ilya Musicante lives in Vail Valley, Colorado, running

her own recruiting business, and says “Life is good

working from the chairlift.”

Stephen Spanger, wife Susan, and son Gavin, 2, live

in Weehawken, New Jersey.

1993

Mark Carlson still lives on Beacon Hill and works in

fixed-income management. “I’m engaged, and we have

a great older dog we adopted from a rescue league.”

Daniel McCoy is working on his master’s in adult

and post-secondary education at the University

of Wyoming. “While I work, I still run the outdoor

program and have been busy with elk hunting;

hoping for a great ski year.”

Elizabeth (Palmer) Traverso’s newest baby, daughter

Isla Elizabeth Traverso, was born on November 4,

2011. Elizabeth writes: “Hugo, 4, wanted a sister! We

are happy, blessed, and excited. We look forward to

being in Wolfeboro in June, 2013.”

Justice rines is a J.D. and MBA candidate at the

University of New Hampshire School of Law, Class

of 2014.

1995

Molly (Kirkpatrick) Abrahamson writes: “Things are

wonderful in North Carolina, though we had a very

hot summer. I was married in 2005, and my husband

and I (and our then 5-week old daughter) moved

from Rhode Island to North Carolina in 2006. We

now have three toddlers (ages 4, 3, and 2)! We live

just north of Charlotte in the Lake Norman area and

love it.”

A. Alexis and Mat roberson ‘93 and daughter Mikel,

5, live in New Hampshire with their cat, Tuna. Alexis

writes: “It’s great to hear how old friends are doing.

Life is so busy it’s hard to keep in touch. We are

enjoying watching our daughter grow and are trying

our best to slow down and treasure these times.”

1997

Jessica ridgeway writes that she and Seth bought

a house in Aptos, California, in January 2011 and

were expecting their second child in February 2012.

“I still run the Live Earth Farm Discovery Program,

teaching kids of all ages about local food systems

and sustainable agriculture.”

David Simon and wife Jennifer live in Richmond,

California, with their two dogs, Sutro and Ellie.

1999

ramsey Cotherman writes: “2011 was super busy

for me. I turned 30, got engaged, bought a house,

graduated from college, and had another baby. Ha

Ha! Best year yet!”

Gregory Douglass writes, “I was featured on

National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” on

December 28, 2011, and it was, quite frankly, a

dream come true. The interview really told my story

as an independent artist and it may have been the

Mark Wong ‘92, Lauren Lok ‘99, and Howard Kwong ‘99 in Hong Kong with Jim Bastis.

Pick up Those STXSunday, may 20 at 2 p.m. is the annual alumni vs. boys’ varsity lacrosse game. this springtime tradition brings alumni, parents, and friends back to campus for an afternoon of friendly competition on Palazzo field. A player BBQ follows at the Pinckney Boathouse.

more information: [email protected]


most humbling coverage I’ve ever received. The

interview is still up on NPR’s website if you missed

it and want to listen. I was also recently featured

on Boston’s MIX 104.1 (CBS Radio) “15 Seconds of

Fame” for my Adele cover of Set Fire To The Rain.

Gregory also took Top 3 honors in the New Stage

web series that he was a part of with Jersey Shore’s

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and thanks friends

for all their votes. “It was a fun ride!”

vanessa Tamanini writes: “I have been the business

manager for the New England region of a global

engineering/architecture management firm in

Boston for the past four and a half years and

absolutely love what I do. I still always make time to

travel. Sending best wishes to my classmates and the

rest of the Brewster family.”

2001

Bruce Hawkins is living in Stone Mountain, Georgia,

where he is practicing law. “After taking the bar exam

in Georgia, I realized that there is a great learning

curve. It takes so much reading, observing, and

applying what you’ve learned to be a good lawyer. I

chose to focus primarily on criminal defense, and I

love what I do. I meet people at their lowest points

and try to help them back up.”

reagan Jobe is the director of photography and

digital media at Sotheby’s International Realty.

2002

nicole Black lives in White Plains, New York.

“Looking forward to our 10th Reunion! I can’t believe

how time flies!”

Matt rogers married Melissa Bourque in December

2011 at St. Cecilia’s Church in Boston. His best man

was ryan Lafond ’01, and Shawn Houde ’04 was in

the wedding party. Lynne and TJ Palmer joined the

Rogers for the celebration.

Abby Wood writes: “I have started my fifth year of

teaching middle school social studies and am in the

last year of working on my master’s. I hope to make

it back to Brewster in summer 2012.”

Ian White and dog Bently live in Davie, Florida. Ian

is working for the Norweigan Cruise Line next to Ft.

Lauderdale. “I’m not missing the New Hampshire

cold weather winters!”

Attorney and author Bruce Hawkins ’01 lives in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

(l to r): Shawn Houde ’04, Ryan Lafond ’01, Matt Rogers ’02, Lynne Palmer, Ray Bourque, and TJ Palmer at Matt’s December wedding.

Jasmine Hamlor ’04, Clarissa Segars ’03, and Daneira Fuller ’03 enjoyed brunch and shopping in New York City on December 26.

Class Notes


Members of the Class of 2011 gathered at the Tambone’s in Massachusetts for a holiday party. Standing (l to r): Jacob Alden, Connor Nolan, Brennen Shaw, Stephen Balsamo, Johnny Wadlinger, Joey Grasso, Dana Hughes; Seated on couch: Courtney Piper, Emma Jones, Meredith Haynes, Tori Tambone, Tori Webster, Lindsey Tambone; in front: Jackson Callahan, Anna Chaletzky, and Calder Billings

2004

Jeremy Krumsick is working in mid-town Manhattan

but was recently in Wolfeboro where he visited Mr.

Mann, Mr. Kiley, and Mr. Fouser.

Alyssa Spagnolo is getting married in October. Her

fiance, Carlos, graduated from Kenyon College and

coaches at Wellesley College.

2005

Bri Gatta was in Wolfeboro over Labor Day weekend

for a mini-reunion with classmates. “The reunion

included Julia Gordon, Christina Strong, Scott

Morgan, Michael Milone, and Curran robinette. I

also ran into a few from the class above us, including

Hunter Smith ’04 and Josh Sims ’04. I also visited

with Curran’s sister, Morgan robinette ’12. Many

from this same group also gathered on Cape Cod to

ring in the New Year.

2007

Annabelle Knight graduated from Boston University

in 2010 and earned a master’s in education from

Lesley University in 2011. “I moved to the San

Francisco Bay area in September 2011, and I am

currently working as an early childhood educator.”

Holly O’Donnell ’05 and Daniel Szklarz were married last summer. Pictured with the couple are Kelly O’Donnell ’07, Peggy O’Donnell, Katherine Szklarz, Brian O’Donnell (holding Holly and Daniels’s son Keagan) and Jared O’Donnell ’14.

Send us your Class Note, and we will do our best to include it in the next BrewsterConnections:

[email protected]

Will Archibald ‘00Will Archibald,

30, of Morrisville,

North Carolina,

passed away on

January 27.

A 2009

motorcycle

accident left

Will paralyzed

from the waist

down, but he

had made tremendous strides learning to live as

a paraplegic. He learned to kayak and competed

at Lake Placid in the Paralympic trials. He

also learned to play sled hockey and recently

travelled to Philadelphia to play in a national

tournament. He was a two-time participant at

the “Life Rolls On” surfing event at Wrightsville

Beach in North Carolina, and he monoskied in

North Carolina and New Hampshire.

His sister Emily Johnson shared the following:

“Will was an inspiration to us all. He will always

be a hero to me. While he encountered many

challenges in life, the most recent being his

spinal cord injury, he persevered and went on

to get involved in kayaking, sled hockey, and

monoskiing. He didn’t let anything hold him

back. He had an infectious smile and a kind

heart.”

(l to r): Lambert de Ganay, Christina Strong, Scott Morgan, Bri Gatta, Michael Milone, Julia Gordon, and Curran Robinette all members of the Class of 2005 gathered in Chatham, Massachusetts, to celebrate 10 years of friendship, the close of 2011, and the start of 2012!


In Appreciation Remembering Alex Rogers ‘89 By Matt Hoopes

Alex Rogers ’89 passed away on December 8 after a second battle with cancer. I last saw Alex at Reunion 2010, but I had known him for 26 years and have wonderful memories of dog sledding and sailing with him during his Brewster weekends. In 2010 we had a lot of fun working on a Hoopla column (spring 2010) we wrote together about his antique business. Even after the return of his cancer, his final e-mails were upbeat, cheerful, strong, and positive. I know as a teacher I’m not supposed to have favorite students, but I did, many actually, and

now I’m minus a very special one. His classmates shared the following remembrances of Alex:

“He would much rather you open and share a nice bottle of wine than to shed tears over him. …I want Alex’s classmates to think about Alex’s loss. He had so much left to do. I think of the wonderful women he leaves behind, Adel and his kind mother. I cry for them!” –Michael Snyder ’89

“Alex had a heart of gold. He brought happiness, positive energy, and comfort to every situation at Brewster. … He loved to share himself and was always there when a friend needed help. Alex’s incredible energy, smile, and warmth made him truly amazing to be around.” –Brad Appel ’89, former roommate

“I went to Alex’s memorial service at his mother’s home in North Hampton, New Hampshire. Megan Boyle ’89 also attended. It was a wonderful, informal gathering, his close friends and family all together, remembering and sharing stories about Alex. We talked about the boy and the man. His partner, Adel, recounted her first meeting with Alex. She was walking her active Terrier when it began to rain, and she took shelter under the awning of Alex’s antique store in Portsmouth. Alex opened the door and invited her in out of the rain. Shaking her head, Adel refused, pointing out that her dog was too hyper for an antique shop. Alex responded, ‘It’s only stuff. Come on in.’ A man without pretension, but with a true heart and soul. I will miss my good friend Alex, a person I could always rely on to be there.” –Temple Peterson ’89

In Appreciation Charles “Hank” Spaulding By Martha Trepanier ‘83

On Thanksgiving Day 2011, the Brewster family lost a dear friend, Charles “Hank” Spaulding (P ’85). Spaulding, from Kennebunk Beach, Maine, was 84.

The Spaulding family enrolled son Tom as a freshman member of the Class of 1985 and, as many families do, quickly became engaged with the community and Brewster’s vision for the future, helping the school evolve with annual and capital support. The Spaulding name is well known to Brewster and represents, in the words of former Headmaster David M. Smith, “an example of extraordinary partnership, in every sense of the word.”

David M. Smith, Tom Spaulding ’85 and wife Mary, and Hank and Anne Spaulding at the Brewster Medal evening in January 2009.

In MemoriamClass of 1937Jane (Smith) PiltzJuly 2, 2011Cedar City, Nevada

Class of 1945Donald W. TibbettsSeptember 9, 2011Woburn, Massachusetts

Class of 1947Nancy (Flanders) Buell October 2009Miami, Florida

Class of 1949R. Conrad PoelmanJuly 26, 2011Moscow, Pennsylvania

Class of 1950Harold “Skip” TaylorJanuary 5, 2012Sun City, Arizona

Class of 1957Roger A. LeclercSummer 2011Ocala, Florida

Class of 1961Robert H. BerryFebruary 5, 2012Naples, Florida

Class of 1962Douglas C. ElliottNovember 23, 2011Sebastian, Florida

Class of 1989F. Alexander RogersDecember 7, 2011Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Class of 2000William ArchibaldJanuary 27, 2012Morrisville, North Carolina

FriendsDr. Jeanne H. KenisonJanuary 13, 2012Hampton, New Hampshire

Charles “Hank” Spaulding (P’85)November 24, 2011Kennebunk Beach, Maine

Hank Spaulding and wife Anne have been quiet but loyal supporters. When championship jackets were needed when the budget had no funds, they were there.

When additional scholarship aid was needed for a student, they were there; when a student center was needed within the Estabrook complex, again, the Spaulding family was there. Their generous support continued long after Tom had graduated – funding the Smith Center’s retractable turf – and the family’s support continues today.

A civil engineer, Hank began his professional career designing and building bridges at Parsons Brinckerhoff. He then moved on to Cabot, Cabot & Forbes (CC&F) where he developed a 7,000-acre ranch in Laguna Niguel, California, into a residential town with a population of 30,000. At CC&F, he also helped develop some of Boston’s iconic downtown office towers and suburban industrial parks. In 1967, Hank co-founded Spaulding & Slye Corporation and went on to develop office properties in Boston, Washington, DC, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Hank was passionate about his work and had a lifelong devotion to contributing his time and energy to the communities and institutions close to him, including Brewster Academy.

Since its early days, families have partnered with the Academy to provide students with a variety of learning opportunities to develop into and succeed as adults. At this special 125th year marker, we pause and reflect and gratefully say thank you to the Spauldings for being such extraordinary partners.

Alex Rogers ‘89 relaxing at the 2010 Reunion with Jennifer Riley ‘90, MIchael Snyder ‘89, and Jon Gibbs ‘90.


HistoryHistoryHistoryHistoryWriting Brewster’sHistory organized with dress dinner parties in The Estabrook followed by dancing.

Looking ahead, the Academy acquired substantial acreage extending to the

lake and along Main Street, the heart of the present-day Academy campus.

Just 13 years later another defining event occurred which would change

life on campus forever. The Great Fire in 1903 destroyed the Academic

Building and shook the confidence of the board, faculty, and students.

Amazingly, classes continued without interruption and eventually a new

Academic Building and stronger programs emerged from those ashes. The

school opened its new facility on September 11, 1905, with 133 students

and eight teachers. Classes in elocution, music, and physical education

were added to the curriculum, and room in the basement of the new

building provided a rudimentary gymnasium. Chapel exercises were held

each morning in the newly designed second floor multi-purpose meeting

hall that provided space for the entire school community and, at times, the

town of Wolfeboro to gather for various activities. Communication and

cooperation between the school and town grew stronger.

125 years: Ten Turning Points

As we researched and later wrote The Brewster Story, we

discovered a number of critical points in the school’s rich

history where, had the board and principals and headmasters

responded differently at these crucial times, the school would likely have

been weakened considerably and the likelihood of its continued existence

questioned. Looking back, as we celebrate 125 years of history, several

turning points or crossroads stand out and are worth reflection.

The first defining moment in the history of Brewster came in 1887 with

the appointment of Edwin Lord as principal, and with this appointment

John Brewster’s dream of a quality college preparatory school to serve the

students of his hometown began to come true. Working with trustees of

John Brewster’s will, Principal Lord almost immediately began to recruit

a faculty, design a curriculum, and plan a campus. An Academy Building,

a four-story structure that included recitation rooms and a science

laboratory, was ready in late 1890; it was followed by The Estabrook, Lord

House, Kimball House, Sargent House (the old infirmary; not Sargent

Hall), and Haines House.

The curriculum was designed for college-bound students. Teams were

fielded in basketball, baseball, and football. Social events were formally

By Bob and Shirley Richardson

1899 Chemistry Lab

Students relax in the Estabrook living room, circa 1925


A WorLD AT WAr

Within 12 years the world was at war and the operation of a boarding

school campus became an extremely difficult task for administration,

faculty, and the board of trustees. The town and school joined together

and published information about the efforts of the Red Cross, YMCA and

YWCA, food drives, liberty bond sales as well as announcements about

important speakers and the letters that arrived from graduates serving

overseas. Slogans of “Save Food,” “Do Your Bit,” and “Save Water”

were seen and heard across campus. The girls gathered to sew and knit

gloves, mittens, socks, and sweaters, and they rolled linen bandages for

the wounded. Young people had to face the reality of death with anguish

and bravery. Young male students left the classroom to enlist in the army,

and full enrollment became a challenge. Influenza, measles, and mumps

epidemics were on the rise. Of four students who had gathered to play

games on a Friday night, two had died from influenza by Monday morning.

As the war ended, the trustees commissioned a bronze plaque in

remembrance of the 116 male and four female students from Brewster

who had served their country. That plaque continues to hang in a

prominent place in the Academic Building. School spirit was high after

the war with sports competitions and annual plays and dances.

The happy opening of the 1919 school year turned to sadness, however,

with the deaths of two prominent, original members of the board of

trustees who had long served Brewster so well: William Brewster (John’s

son) and Arthur Estabrook.

The next turning point came during the 1930s when the country faced a

downturn in the economy, which impacted Brewster as well. Maintenance

delays left academic and dormitory areas in disrepair, and unbecoming

behavior was reflected in some students. A new document, “The Code

for Brewster Students,” stipulated home study hours, approved school

and town organization memberships, required attendance at churches,

restricted unsupervised night travel outside the home, curtailed

unsupervised automobile usage, and promoted a courteous regard for the

wishes of the school.

As the Depression set in, fewer boarding students applied for admission,

vacancies went unfilled, and funds from tuition decreased. Estabrook Hall

and Kimball House were the only two dorms, as Brown Hall had been

closed due to lack of students.

This rapidly declining boarding population was troubling. Another

concern was the high attrition rate of incoming freshmen who left school

before graduating. Thus, in 1939, with declining enrollment, school

facilities in disrepair, little funds for athletics, the realities of another world

war looming, and the worry about fiscal responsibilities, for the first time,

tuition was charged for day students. A change in financial management

of the school was imminent.

A SEConD WAr

Another critical period in the school’s history arrived with World War II.

After the seventh of December 1941, life in Wolfeboro and Brewster would

never be the same. The Brewster yearbook records that 231 local boys had

enlisted or were drafted into the armed services. On campus Brown Hall

became the control center for the Civilian Defense Committee, the Civil

Air Patrol, and the headquarters for obtaining ration stamps for food

and gasoline. Students were involved in Savings Stamps, Savings Bonds,

planting Victory Gardens, and participating in wartime clubs.

As the war ended the presence of GIs as students became significant. In

1946 the school enrollment was 279 students, 86 of whom were veterans.

Classrooms were overcrowded, and combat-hardened GIs became

restless and bored with school routine, creating problems for students

and teachers alike. A tension developed between the members of the

senior class and the GIs who were unfamiliar with school traditions. On a

positive note, however, all athletic teams prospered with the contributions

of the GIs. Soon the GIs would move on and the ever-growing need for a

Commencement 1939 Bobcat Nation’s first tennis courts, 1896

for a competitive

college preparatory

school. The first two

headmasters, Wilfred

Paro and C. Richard

Vaughan, brought

such experience and

successively laid the

foundation for the

future. Instituting

customs and

traditions presented

a major challenge, as

did modifying the

school program to

more effectively

meet the needs of students. Even with expanded athletics, a

new direction in delivering curriculum, and the acquisition of Bearce

Hall, enrollment and the ever-present need for more effective fund raising

continued to be major challenges for many years and even threatened,

again, the existence of the school during the late sixties and early seventies.

A major step in overcoming this threat was taken in 1974 when the board

of trustees appointed the youngest headmaster in the history of the

school – teacher and former dean, David M. Smith. As headmaster, Smith

immediately faced a shortfall of almost half the annual budget, and 90

percent of the school’s line of credit had been expended. Enrollment was

below expectations, the Admission Office demanded new leadership

and direction, faculty morale was low, and the physical plant needed a

comprehensive facelift. Smith led the Academy through three decades of

continuous improvements in school facilities, in the depth and breadth

of the faculty, in the talent and diversity of the student body, in financial

stability, and ultimately in development of the Brewster Model curriculum.

With the Brewster Model firmly and successfully in place, Smith’s

successor Head of School Dr. Michael E. Cooper would evolve and expand

program components to ensure that Brewster students are prepared for the

challenges of the 21st century. These initiatives included teaching the habits

of mind, character education, project-based learning, and introducing a

school-wide emotional literacy program. These initiatives responded to

the challenges of teaching and learning in the 21st century, not only in the

academic program but in every facet of school operations.

With its forward-looking, innovative mindset, Brewster remains at

the forefront of secondary education, a position that provides a solid

foundation for the Academy’s response to the continuing challenges of our

rapidly changing world.

multipurpose athletic and recreational facility would be the next turning

point for the Academy.

BrEWSTEr’S FIrST GyMnASIuM

With most of the concerns over GIs resolved, attention focused on physical

education facilities. Two rooms in the basement of the main building and

a makeshift outdoor basketball/tennis court area, usable only in fall and

spring, could not meet the school’s growing needs. Pressure on the board

to act on plans for a Brewster recreational center and museum grew.

After a tremendous fund-raising effort on the part of the board, town, and

student body, the long-anticipated construction of a new gymnasium/

recreational building became a reality in 1954. The new Rogers

Gymnasium not only enhanced the athletic program, it freed up space

in other buildings for art and more academic programs. The growth of

music, dramatics and choral work, and a vocational training program

seemed to explode.

The new building further strengthened the bond between the Academy

and town. School spirit soared and within two years the school won the

New England championship in basketball and women’s basketball began.

Enrollment was high but another turning point lurked on the horizon.

GAInInG InDEPEnDEnCE

In the early 1960s, with increased enrollment, Brewster Academy faced the

challenge of becoming a public school or returning to its roots as a college

preparatory boarding school.

On opening day in 1960, 332 students, including 88 boarding students,

arrived. This brought enrollment of the average class size from 15 to

25 or 30, which was cause for alarm. By 1963 enrollment was 366 and

overcrowding was critical. After considerable deliberation, the idea of

serving as a regional high school was rejected by the board of trustees. In

1964 when Kingswood Regional High School opened its doors one mile up

the street, Brewster’s opening day enrollment dropped to 132: 96 boarding

students and 36 day students.

To increase boarding enrollment, the board decided to build a new

dormitory, Sargent Hall, and seek greater numbers of postgraduates, as

the very survival of Brewster Academy was at stake. To continue John

Brewster’s vision and commitment, the school would have to pursue a new

direction, a new beginning. It was one of the most difficult challenges the

school has ever faced, and the Academy encountered great obstacles along

the way. It would be many years before enrollment would begin to increase

as families began to see the value of Brewster’s independent education.

LooKInG For LEADErSHIP

To reestablish itself as an independent college preparatory boarding

school, the trustees realized the leader of the Academy must be someone

with boarding school experience and wisdom in order to develop the

infrastructure of academic, athletic, and personal standards needed

Note: Read more about these turning points and the full history of the Academy in The Brewster Story: A Definitive History of Brewster Academy available in the Campus Store, local stores, and at https://www.brewsteracademy.org/thebrewsterstory


The Kenison Library opened in the Wilson Center in 1995

What if you could give Brewster $100,000?

You can!Alumni support is at the heart of every great school. Last year, 8 percent of alumni

made a gift to Brewster. A group of alumni and parents believes we can do better, and they feel so strongly about it that they have issued a challenge to double alumni participation this year.

If at least 600 alumni make a gift to Brewster this year, a group of challenge donors will contribute $100,000 to the Annual Fund.

These donors are sending a simple but powerful message – your participation matters.

Make your gift online today at www.brewsteracademy.org/Strength-In-Numbers-Challenge or call 603.569.7485

S T R E n G T HIn nuMBERS

aLuMnIPaRTIcIPaTIon

cHaLLEnGE

Daniel T. Mudge, Chair(Tapley-Ann ’98, Ashley ’02)

Leslie N. H. MacLeod, Vice Chair(Todd ’97)

Roy C. Ballentine, Treasurer(Brian ’97, Susan ’94)

Douglas H. Greeff, Secretary(Hilary ’11)

Michael Appe

C. Richard CarlsonEstate Trustee

David L. Carlson ’54

Arthur W. Coviello Jr.

Candace Crawshaw ’64

Claudine Curran(Alex ’06, Gen ’11)

George J. Dohrmann III (George ’05, Geoffrey ’12)

Stephen C. Farrell Sr.(Stephen Jr. ’12)

Karen W. Fix(Will ’11, Keenan ’13)

Peter Ford ’80

Michael Keys (Matthew ’04)

Barbara Naramore

Arthur O. RicciEstate Trustee

The Reverend Nancy Spencer SmithEstate Trustee

Steven R. Webster (Brooke ’08, Tori ’11)

Trustee Emeriti

Walter N. “Rink” DeWitt ’54 (Kate ’86)

P. Fred Gridley ’53 (Deborah ’81)

Grant M. Wilson (Grant ’87, Kirsten ’88)

Brewster AcAdemy

2011-2012Board of Trustees

In a class participation project, photography instructor Steve Burgess captured this image of four students writing in the air with cell phones. The light from the first two phones is from the phones’ LCD screens, while the other six phones were set on flashlight mode. The writers are: Jessica Choi ’15 (Chungbuk, Korea), Skyler Sherman ’14 (Sunapee, New Hampshire), Samantha Bryan ’13 (Sanford, Maine), and Brendan Quirk ’12 (Portsmouth, New Hampshire), who came up with the idea.

Summer Programs Office • 603-569-7155 • [email protected]

Brewster Academy Summer SessionIt’s a schoolIt’s a camp

It’s a blend of academics and adventure recreation

EXPECT TO LEARN, EXPECT TO HAVE FUN

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Brewster AcAdemy

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wolfeBoro, NH 03894

TO LEARN mORE OR REsERVE yOUR PLACE ON THE LAkE, cONTAcT The OffIce Of SUmmeR PROgRAmS AT BReWSTeR AcADemy.

BrewsterConnections, Spring 2012

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