| | AARON SCHUBACH WELCOME CEREMONY
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| The Board of Trustees of Santa Fe Prep is pleased to officially welcome Aaron Schubach to Santa Fe Prep as our new Head of School. Please join us for a virtual celebration honoring Mr. Schubach on Wednesday, October 7 from 9:00-10:00am at this link.
The ceremony will include remarks from Board of Trustees Chair, Elicia Montoya; Parents' Association Co-Presidents Mary Jane Parks and Chris Nordstrom; Head of the Middle School, Chris Chakeres, and Assistant Head and Head of the Upper School, Suzie Matthews.
The Welcome Ceremony will celebrate the role of creativity at Santa Fe Prep, and features students from all grades sharing artistic work they’ve produced for Mr. Schubach. Participating students include: Sasha Smucker ’26, Cole Litzenberg ’25, Sienna Gilbert ’25, Ezequiel Korte ’24, Alexandra Walpin ’23, Sophia Rivera ’22, and Urian Vasquez ’21.
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| | Spread the Word: Admissions Open House
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| Help us spread the word: the Admissions season for the 2021-2022 school year is now open! Because of restrictions on in-person events, the Admissions process will look a little different this year, starting with Admissions Open House.
We will be hosting three Virtual Open Houses on October 23, November 19, and January 14, from 4:00-5:30pm via Zoom. At these events, prospective families will have the opportunity to meet the Admissions team and other administrators at the school, participate in mini-classes taught by Prep faculty, and hear from current Prep students about their experience. Interested families can register for an Open House here. Learn more about this year's admissions process here. We're also happy to meet with prospective families (virtually) to answer any questions about Prep or the Admissions process.
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| Students have begun rehearsing for this year's FALL PLAY!
There will be three one-act plays: Radium Girls, Bad Auditions by Bad Actors, and Tracks. Performances will be November 19, 20, 21 at 7pm, and November 22 at 2pm. At this time, we are hoping to invite a small, parents-only, live audience and stream a recording of the evening. Stay tuned for details about which plays will be performed at each show.
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| Doing science lab work remotely has presented a new challenge and an opportunity for Prep teachers to get creative. Chemistry students recently completed a "remote lab" with teacher Ellee Cook. They were shown a mixture of solid substances, composed of sulfur, sand, iron, and salt, and given a list of lab equipment. Based on the properties of the substances (melting point, response to a magnet, dissolves in water), the students had to devise a protocol for separating the mixture into its four original parts. They had to (remotely) melt things, boil things, evaporate things, sift things, use magnets, all kinds of fun things! The students were able to get acquainted with lab material from home and are looking forward to trying the lab in-person when classes resume on campus.
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| At the end of September, 8th grade students had the wonderful opportunity to meet and ask questions of their summer reading author, Justina Ireland. Jackson Friedland ’25 remarked, “It was pretty cool to have a conversation with an actual living author. We have our own speculations of what the author meant while writing, so it is great to hear them tell you what was in their head.” Evan Urbanak ’25 said, “An author is like an invisible figure. We actually met this author and were inspired by the words she spoke as well as the words she wrote.”
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| When Emily Aguirre '26 found out about Breakthough from a friend, she filled out the application with enthusiasm. “I’m really strange, I love filling out forms,” said Emily when asked about the application process. From there, Emily was excited to be part of the program. Nevertheless, she had some mixed feelings when she found out that her first Breakthough summer would be totally online. Despite this, Emily says that everyone at Breakthrough was so “optimistic and hardworking” that she quickly found herself enjoying the Zoom sessions. Emily especially enjoyed spending time in her advisory twice a day and getting to know her BT peers.
Emily is beginning her seventh-grade year at Santa Fe Prep also in a virtual format. Her ultimate goal: to become a doctor. Emily says she is even more inspired to go into medicine after witnessing doctors across the country selflessly prioritize public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she doesn’t plan to wait until graduation to start making positive change in the world. Emily’s hope is that Breakthrough's support can help her achieve her goal of bringing more attention to the devastating consequences of climate change, something she has been passionate about since elementary school. With her optimism and focus, it is clear that Emily’s future path will be paved with success!
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| | Parents' Association Meeting
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| The Parents' Association invites all Prep parents to the next PA meeting on Tuesday, October 13 at 9:00am via Zoom. School Counselor Amy Reich will give a short presentation at the beginning of the meeting on managing emotional charge, particularly as this relates to the stress of the pandemic and other current events. She will share tips for parents and provide information on community resources available to families. We will send the PA Meeting Zoom link in an email to parents a few days before the meeting. (The same link will be used for all PA meetings this year.) We hope to see you there!
Chris Nordstrum and Mary Jane Park
Parents' Association Co-Presidents
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| | CUltivating Excellence at Prep & Responding to COVID-19
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| Outstanding faculty. Small class sizes. Integrated academics. Meaningful connections. These are some of the many characteristics of a Santa Fe Prep education that inspire our students to be curious, confident, and capable. You can support this pathway for every student with a gift to our Annual Fund.
Each year, your collective gifts to our Annual Fund provide us with the financial resources to cultivate excellence at Prep and enrich every student’s educational experience. This year we also need to build the resources to respond to COVID-19 and provide the infrastructure on campus to ensure our students, faculty, and staff are safe, our classes remain small, and our technology provides access and connectivity for remote learning for every student. Whether you give $50 or $50,000, know that your gift has an immediate and meaningful impact on our school and every student’s daily experience.
Thank you to the many who have already given to our Annual Fund. If you have not had a chance to donate, please click here to do so now. You can also contact Director of Advancement Pamela Emsden (505.795.7526) with any questions.
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| “Be Brave. Be Kind. Fight Fires.” So goes the tagline for Hersch Wilson’s new book, Firefighter Zen, which came out over the summer. Boys varsity soccer coach since 2008, former Prep parent and trustee, professional management consultant, and volunteer firefighter, Hersch brings lessons from over 30 years with the Hondo Fire Department to his life . . . and to ours. Written before the COVID-19 pandemic, Firefighter Zen meets the current moment with a winning blend of existentialism, Zen Buddhism, and the wrenching experience of middle-of-the-night emergency calls.
Hersch will have a Zoom conversation about his book with former Head of School Jim Leonard (also his assistant on the soccer pitch for 12 years) on Wednesday, October 21 at 6:00pm, courtesy of Collected Works Bookstore. Mark your calendars now and click here for more info and to find the Zoom link. You can pick up a copy of Hersch’s book from Collected Works by ordering online or calling 505.988.4226.
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| Coco Rae (“Ms T.M.” to many Griffins across her 13-year career as a history teacher at Prep) published her first book a few months ago: Hiking Trails in Valles Caldera National Preserve. An inveterate traveler—she led Prep students on expeditions to China, Cambodia, Nepal, and Mongolia—Coco has also explored closer to her Los Alamos home since she left Prep in 2017. Beginning as a volunteer at VCNP, Coco wrote trail reports for the work crews looking to clear downed trees and came to the conclusion, “I can make a book out of this!” She has hiked multiple times every trail in the Preserve, her book is the first comprehensive guide to the extensive trail system, with great detail on degree of difficulty, suitability for mountain biking, and special landmarks along the way.
In the course of her fieldwork, Coco has witnessed an elk calving in the spring, come upon bears several times, and enjoyed the stunning beauty of the Caldera, which entered the National Park System in December of 2014. “Every time I go, I see something different,” said Coco. “Sometimes it’s just the clouds in the sky or the wildflowers in bloom.” Asked to name her favorite trail, Coco did not hesitate. “Sulfur and Alamo Canyons Loop.”
Her book is available at local bookstores in Santa Fe and Los Alamos. Click here for specific locations—then get out there to enjoy and preserve this breathtaking natural treasure!
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| | PARENT OPEN HOUSE SUCCESS!
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| On Saturday, September 26, we held our first ever virtual Parent Open House with over 270 parents and teachers attending. A huge thank you to all the parents who attended and to all of our faculty who shared stories and class activities that gave parents a window into the online classrooms of Griffin students!
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| Wed, Oct. 7
Aaron Schubach
Welcome Ceremony, 9am
Sat, Oct. 10:
Drive Thru Flu Shot Clinic
9am-12pm
Tues, Oct. 13:
PA Meeting
9am, Zoom
Wed, Oct. 14:
Thursday Schedule
PSAT (Juniors)
Thurs, Oct. 15:
Friday Schedule
Fri, Oct. 16:
End of 1st Quarter
Mid-Semester Break
No School
Fri, Oct. 23
Virtual Admissions
Open House
4-5:30pm
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| Every year we welcome our Grandparents to a special day so they can experience a day at school with their grandchildren. This year, we are planning a virtual experience for grandparents to enjoy.
If you are a new family to Prep or need to update information for your grandparents, please complete the Grandparents’ Mailing Information form and email it to Karen Burbank in the Advancement Office by Monday, October 19, so we can be sure grandparents will receive their personal invitation on time.
Also, please ask them to mark their calendars now for their special day, which is Tuesday, November 24. We look forward to seeing them!
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| | Time to Order New Booster Swag!
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| Support your Prep athletes, and show your school spirit! Head over to the Booster webpage to check out the latest athletic apparel available for the fall season. We are offering men's (100% cotton) and women's (tri-blend) volleyball, cross county, and generic Prep athletics tees for $20, as well as an Adidas golf polo for $35. The deadline to order is Tuesday, October 13. Next semester, be on the lookout for spring athletic team swag! All proceeds benefit the Booster Club. We thank you for your support.
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| Xander Hnasko ’21 and Liam Badger ’21 spent much of their summer creating beautiful pottery to raise money for The Food Depot. The project stemmed from their involvement in Prep's Empty Bowls TAP program. They called their summer project Pots with Purpose, and their goal was to make $1000 for the Food Depot. By mid-September, they presented the Food Depot with a check for $7200!
Zeke Korte ’24 (below) was inspired by Liam and Xander after reading the article about them in the Pasatiempo. He donated his own artwork (a punched-tin mirror) to the Food Depot as well, to be auctioned or enjoyed at the offices.
Liam, Xander, and Zeke, we are moved by your generosity and dedication!
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| When Simoné Moquino ’22 and her sister Nia ’19 found themselves with extra time on their hands this summer, their father taught them to bead. According to Simoné, beading has long been a traditional art for the members of her native Tesuque Pueblo and for many Native nations. It was an art Simoné and Nia wanted to learn and finally had the time to pursue.
Simoné found she loved beading, "I like doing it because it calms me." She also mentioned it keeps her occupied and "away from my phone and computer." Beading soon blossomed into a business. Simoné and her sister developed a website where you can check out their lovely beaded bracelets.
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| Prep and UNM alumnus Dillon Abeyta ’19 has released a two-part documentary, called Once Upon a Time...in Santa Fe. As described by Sports Primo, the "docuseries follows the bittersweet rivalry between the Santa Fe High Demons and Capital High Jaguars during the historic 2016-2020 seasons." Episodes I and II are available on the Sports Primo YouTube page. You can read more about Dillon and this project in the New Mexican's Sept. 10 article. Congratulations, Dillon!
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| In April, we gave a shoutout to Cassiana Serna ’24 who began a business sewing masks during the pandemic. We're happy to provide an update that Cassi raised about $800 for the Santa Fe Dreamers Project! Way to go, Cassi!
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