| | CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2021!
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| The Class of 2021 has experienced many firsts for Santa Fe Prep: our first remote start to the school year, the first remote college counseling process, and on Friday, they were the first class to graduate on Brennand Field (as opposed to in the Upper School Quad, to allow for greater social distancing). The 51 graduates gathered with their friends and family under a beautiful blue sky, with a backdrop of cottonwood trees and the Sangre De Cristos. When the Elrington Bell was rung four times to mark the occasion, the sound could be heard loud and clear, despite the distance.
Prep trustee and parent Stephen Badger gave the commencement address, encouraging students to listen to and cultivate their own inner voice. He shared these wise words about forging one's own path: "Sometimes this [voice] will be at odds with others or the common consensus, and your inner voice won't always say what you 'want,' nor will your purpose always present the 'easy' path. Difficulty helps us define ourselves though, and so I'd suggest that you actually seek out what is difficult, especially if it is in service to others and to your purpose."
Co-valedictorians Xander Hnasko and Revely Rothschild closed the ceremony with a reflection on the Latin roots of the word "valedictorian" to guide their classmates in their next steps: “Vale comes from the verb valeo, valere, valui, meaning, to be well, to be strong, to have power, to have worth, to be efficacious. The expression vale is therefore the imperative form of the verb: it is a sort of commandment, a call to be bold, to declare your worth, and to pursue wellness in all aspects of life."
Class of 2021, well done. We admire your boldness and know you will pursue purpose, service, and most importantly, your true selves, as you move forward. Congratulations.
If you missed the celebration of our graduates in last week's Pasatiempo, you can see it here.
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| On May 11, we welcomed 54 new 7th graders, 8 new 8th graders, and 9 new Upper Schoolers and their parents at our New Family Welcome Event. Our new students met classmates and teachers, played games, and had an opportunity to begin cultivating new friendships. New parents heard from Head of School Aaron Schubach and learned about the Prep experience from student speakers Nick Farrell '22 and Arlise Rippel '22. We wish all our new Griffins a great summer and are looking forward to seeing you in the fall!
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| | THANKS FROM THE PARENTS' ASSOCIATION
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| This has been such a different and difficult year, and despite the challenges of the global pandemic for our students, faculty and staff, and parent community, we were able to meet online to share many of the traditional gatherings and meetings among the Prep community. We raised almost $90,000 for Breakthrough Santa Fe and tuition assistance, conducted a Community Book Read, celebrated our wonderful faculty and staff, and connected throughout the year in various socially distanced ways! Thank you so much parents!
And we want to give a special thank you to all the Grade-level Reps, who maintained an extra layer of communication through regular class emails. We appreciate all the parents for their contributions to the Parents’ Association and look forward to many in-person reunions next year.
Chris Nordstrum and Mary Jane Parks
Parents' Association Co-Presidents
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| A time-honored tradition at Breakthrough is the “Breakthrough Train” roll call. As each student’s name is called, they must stand up and join the Breakthrough Train. A cacophony of train noises rumbles through the lunch room while an ever-lengthening line of students weaves around the room. This summer, we are so excited to announce that the Breakthrough Train is back on its tracks! We are planning our first in-person summer since 2019, and while it will look different—a masked, physically-distant program—we know that our students, teachers, and staff will bring the same spirit they bring every year.
As the Breakthrough Train pulls into the station this summer, our beloved Executive Director, Allie Cooper, will be disembarking. Allie has been involved with Breakthrough for over 10 years now—beginning when she was a 19-year-old Teaching Fellow. During her time at Breakthrough, Allie created our tutoring program, consulted and partnered to expand the Davis New Mexico Scholarship, and safely shepherded the program through a pandemic. In the fall, she will begin a Master’s program at the University of Salamanca in Global and International Studies with a concentration in Nationalism and Conflict Management. Breakthrough is endlessly grateful for Allie’s tireless work, and we wish her all the best!
Hopping onto the Breakthrough Train this year is our new Executive Director, Dieu Ho (above right). Dieu is a first-generation college graduate who grew up in the Southwest. She is coming from a position as Dean of College and Career Advising at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Boston, Massachusetts. With her strong background in college admissions and education equity, we are confident that Dieu will take quickly to her new role as conductor of the Breakthrough Train. All aboard!
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| The Senior Party was a big success and we could not have done it without the generosity of so many people. We want to thank Reeve and Michael Stein (parents of Zeke) who generously donated enchiladas, beans, and rice from Tesuque Village Market. The seniors thoroughly enjoyed the food—thank you!
Another big thank you to Mathew Noë (father of Ajax) who printed and donated a Congratulations banner for the Class of 2021, which was also displayed at graduation.
The party was held in the beautiful backyard of Tom and Adelma Hnasko (parents of Xander). We so appreciate them opening their home for the party. It was the perfect venue for our seniors to celebrate together.
Thank you to Kathy Tambke (Margaret and Thomas), Anne Wrinkle (Jack), Leah Swanson (Anna), Susan Fiore (Rafaella), Anna Hastings (Anders), Adelma Hnasko, and Abigail Olson (Oli) for planning/donating and making this party happen.
A big congratulations to our seniors who not only made it through 12 years of school, but a year of Covid. To see them hanging out and enjoying one another's company after the socially-distanced year was a joy!
Best to you all,
Senior Class Parents
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| As Prep's fiscal year is coming to an end, we need your help to reach our 2020-2021 Annual Fund goal. If you make a gift today, your impact will be doubled. A generous donor has agreed to match all contributions to the Annual Fund between now and June 15, dollar for dollar, up to $20,000. Gifts to the Annual Fund provide critical resources for our most important priorities, such as offering an exceptional curriculum for students, hiring and retaining highly qualified faculty and staff, and ensuring accessibility to a wide range of families through a strong tuition assistance program. All gifts are important and appreciated. Thank you!
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| Prep photography students Colin Alsop '22, Joaquin Bas '22, Nandita Ganesan '24, Mitchell Grover '24, Caroline Moore '22, Estrella Ortiz '24, Robin Ratcliff '23, and Andrew Smith '24 were recently honored with awards in the Future Voices of New Mexico annual competition. Over 300 images were submitted this year. Future Voices is a partnership between The Lensic Santa Fe and Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. Download this document to view the winning images. Congrats, photographers, on your impressive work!
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| On May 15, English teacher Kristin Kalangis received a Master's degree from UNM in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies in the College of Education. Her thesis was titled "Cultivating Critical Consciousness in the Secondary Literature Classroom: Engaging the Personal, Political, and the Possible." We're so proud of you, Kristin, and look forward to the ways you continue to engage, support, and challenge your students in the classroom every day.
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| | CLASSROOM SPOTLIGHT: APES
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| This spring, AP Environmental Science students conducted research into groundwater contamination near Los Alamos National Laboratory and how it impacts local municipalities and Indigenous communities. Their mission was to create a deliverable that educates the audience about this important issue.
You can explore their videos, works of art, brochures, presentations, and posters on this website. This work is meant to be shared and discussed as we aim to understand the science behind remediation and empathize with the damaging effects this pollution has on Pueblo communities around LANL.
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| Calling all members of Santa Fe Prep graduating classes ending in -0 and -1! If you're interested in planning a virtual or in-person reunion, please don't hesitate to reach out to Prep's Director of Communications Kathleen Osborne who would be happy to assist.
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| New books, graphic novels, and manga have been added to Sora this week. If you need assistance setting up Sora, please contact Catherine McKenzie
Please check around your house for any Prep library books and return them as soon as possible.
Finally, don't forget to fill out those Summer Reading Bingo Boards!
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| Front Office Manager Anna Mirabal-LeJeune is looking for a substitute to help in the front office during the 2021-2022 school year. Coverage is needed for 10 full days, plus one hour for lunch every day, along with coverage during events and meetings. Please contact Anna for more details. (Note that Anna will reply when she returns from vacation in July.)
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