|
LIFE GETS BETTER AFTER 50
At Prep, we pride ourselves on acting from clear intention; our fundraising is no exception. When we committed last year to our $14,000,000 capital campaign, Generating Impact: Prep Beyond 50, we embraced a challenge to change, significantly, the access for bright and motivated students to the excellent education we provide. We also committed to providing our current students and their families with critical campus and athletic improvements (Sun Mountain Field!) that will greatly enhance our program. To date, we have raised $10.5 million in gifts and pledges toward these ambitious goals.
You likely saw the recent article in The Santa Fe New Mexican about the impact our campaign is having on our city and our school; you can click here to read more. I trust you will be inspired to join us in our commitment to celebrate our 50th Anniversary in an earth-shaking, life-changing kind of way. I hope that everyone in the Prep community–graduates, faculty, past parents, friends, and current parents–will participate as they are able and will see the value in doing so. Thank you for stepping up.
- Jim Leonard, Head of School
| |
|
Alarms and Diversions:
Come One, Come All! On Tuesday, November 11th, at 5:00 pm, the library will host Alarms and Diversions, the annual faculty-staff reading. As the opening event in the library’s reading series, this event will feature a wide variety of entertaining and erudite voices from the adult community of Prep. Alarms and Diversions promises to be a literary feast for the soul— with light refreshments on the side, including an enticing array of teas. Please join us!
| |
|
The 1953 Pulitzer Prize winning play Picnic by William Inge will open next month in Prep's Driscoll Auditorium. Our strong cast of 11 will bring to life the challenges women faced in a conservative midwestern society. Picnic encompasses the impetuousness of youth, and for the older characters, the sudden realization that life is passing them by.
Opening night is Friday, November 21st at 7:30 pm followed by additional shows on November 22nd at 7:30 pm and Sunday, November 23rd at 2:00 pm. Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $5 for students, and will be available at the door.
| |
|
Girl Up Movie Night--Girl Up is a United Nations Foundation campaign. From the Girl Up website: "Girl Up envisions a world where all girls, no matter where they live, have the opportunity to become educated, healthy, safe, counted and positioned to be the next generation of leaders." This year, senior Elena Wirth '15 started Santa Fe Prep's own Girl Up Club. The club is sponsoring a movie night on Monday, November 24th, at 6:00 pm in the Founders' Room. Admission is free, but the club will be selling refreshments as a fundraiser. The movie, "Water," was written and directed by Deepa Mehta and explores the lives of widows at an ashram in Indian in 1938. We hope you will join us for this event!
Click here to view the trailer>> Water
| |
|
Prep’s 15th Annual Grandparents’ Day will be Tuesday, November 25th this year. Prep grandparents are invited to experience a day in the life of their grandchild by attending classes with them, meeting with Prep’s Head of School, Jim Leonard, and enjoying a special performance by the students. Grandparents and grandchildren are also treated to a special lunch in the School Commons. Grandparents have already received an invitation in the mail if we have their address.
Please encourage all grandparents to attend this special day; check-in starts at 9:00 am in the Auditorium. The program ends at 1:30 pm for grandparents and 3:30 pm for students. For more information or to RSVP, contact Marcia Lenihan at mlenihan@sfprep.org or 795.7516.Note: This is a regular school day and all students are required to attend whether or not their grandparents are able to come.
| |
PARENTS' ASSOCIATION NEWS
| |
|
PA Meeting
It was great to see new faces at our October evening meeting. We will be switching back to mornings for November, so please come join us on Wednesday, November 5th (Guy Fawkes Day for our English friends - but no bonfires!) in the Prep Library. We will be discussing the latest thoughts on our spring event and will get updates on class news from our grade level reps.
Also joining us will be special guest Kendel Fesenmeyer who oversees the curriculum in both the Middle and Upper School. Kendel will answer questions about what our kids are studying and why, and will address what Prep's plans are for the future on the academic front.
- Margaret Hennessey, PA President
- Julie Murray, PA Vice President
| |
|
Parent Education
Join us for an exciting and inspiring presentation from
world-class athlete and wilderness adventurer Jennifer Pharr Davis on Monday, November 3rd, at 5:30 pm in the Prep Auditorium.
Jennifer has logged over 12,000 miles on six continents, including hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Colorado Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, the Appalachian Trail (3 times), and many trails in Europe. Her new book, Called Again, chronicles her record-breaking Appalachian Trail hike (47 miles per day for 46 days) and has been called “an inspired exploration of the meaning of commitment” by Kirkus Reviews.Jennifer is the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, The Daily Beast, and the CBS Early Show. Don't miss her visit to Santa Fe Prep!
| |
|
Meet Yesi Bermejo! Yesi entered Breakthrough in 2009 as a self-proclaimed “painfully shy 7th grader,” but the Breakthrough classrooms were the first place where Yesi felt she was asked not only for answers, but also for her opinions. This made her feel safe and ready to share her voice with the world. The comfortable environment is also what convinced Yesi to come back on board as a summer teacher for the past two summers and Super Saturday seasons. “Breakthrough exposed me to the creative and fun aspects of both science and education,” Yesi says, and she is excited to graduate from Santa Fe High this year and pursue a degree in Education in college. Yesi is well on her way to life as a successful educator, already inspiring both the Breakthrough middle schoolers and her own younger siblings, Angel and Keyla, to do their best and aim high.
- Talia Winokur, Executive Director, Breakthrough Santa Fe
| |
|
Eliot Fisher ’01 is on a year’s leave of absence from teaching Media Arts at Prep to work with his multimedia performance collaborative, ARCOS Dance.
In August, the group performed their original show, The Warriors: A Love Story, at the Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest performing arts festival. The show received a four-star review from The Scotsman newspaper and Mervyn Stutter’s “Spirit of the Fringe” award—and even had a few audience members from back home, including Dorothy Melander-Dayton ’07. After Scotland, Eliot returned home and drove to artist residencies (in Oregon and Wyoming), which he and his collaborators (his wife Erica Gionfriddo and friend Curtis Uhlemann) were awarded to work on their next production. Eliot is grateful for the opportunity to develop his practice as a working artist more deeply; he encourages art students from the Meem and the Green Room to pursue the paths of their creative impulses! Click here to read more about what Eliot is currently exploring.
| |
|
Jesse Roach '90 and Adelma (Roach) Hnasko '92
We give a big thank you to brother and sister alums, Jesse and Adelma, who have been supporting Santa Fe Prep every year for more than 10 years. We are grateful to them and to all our donors and volunteers whose annual donations and time make our community the incredible one it is today. A few words from Jesse and Adelma are below, along with the degrees they pursued after graduation from Prep, and why they give back.
Jesse Roach: "I am a proud alum, and I try to give a little to Prep every year. I couldn't have gone to Prep without the financial assistance I received, so I am slowly trying to pay back a little of that gift so the opportunity of Prep can continue to be accessed by students whose families need a little help to make it work."
Stanford: B.S. Civil Engineering '95, B.S. Biology '95; M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering '97. Arizona: Ph.D. Hydrology & Water Resources '07.
Adelma Hnasko: “I’m so grateful to Santa Fe Prep for all the school cultivated in me, from critical thinking and writing skills, to curiosity and passion for learning — artistically, academically, and athletically. My years at Prep were so rich across such a broad spectrum of educational settings and subjects, and I see now how much of my character — and my capacities — were developed during my time at Prep. I never could have attended the school had it not been for the tuition assistance that Prep provided me. I contribute to Prep each year as a way of giving back — and saying thank you — to the school that was so generous to me.”
Stanford: B.A. Cultural Anthropology, '96; M.A. Education, '97.
| |
| Congratulations to all of the Blue Griffin Fencers who participated in the Santa Fe Prep Open Fencing Tournament this past weekend. In the Mixed Open Epee event, Gavyn Pendleton '16 finished in 7th place, re-earning his E rating. In the Junior Men's Epee, Gavyn again finished in the top 8, placing 5th place, while his teammate, Jeremiah O'Mahony '15, tied for 3rd place.In the Junior Epee Women's event, 6 of the top 8 were Prep women! Eliza Harrison '15 took 8th place, Lila Brooks '15 finished 7th, Lori Garrett '16 finished 6th, Bridget Bohlin '15 took 5th, Ali Viszolay '15 finished 3rd, and Shannon Kossmann '16 won the gold medal, re-earning her E rating. What a great way to end the season!
Congratulations to both Boys' and Girls' Varsity Soccer Teams for earning a berth to the State Tournament. The girls, who finished second in districts, earned a # 9 seed and played East Mountain on Saturday. Unfortunately, the girls lost the game 5-2, and although their season is over, we look forward to some of these young stars picking up where they left off next season! The boys were district champions, and with the # 2 seed, earned a bye in the first round of the tournament. They will play this Thursday, November 6th in the quarterfinals against Hatch Valley. That game will be played at the APS Soccer Complex on field #3 at 3:45 pm.
| |
| The Cross Country Team competed in the District Meet last Friday, hosted by Desert Academy. The girls took 3rd place with their top runner Sarah Raboff '15 finishing 3rd in the race. The boys finished 2nd as a team, with Kyle Evaldson '15 finishing as the top runner in 8th place. Based on their district finishes, both teams qualified for state. We look forward to cheering our runners on at the Cross Country Championships this Saturday, November 8th, at Rio Rancho High School. The boys will race at 9:30 am with the girls following at 12:05 pm. Santa Fe Prep hosted a Fall Ball Lacrosse Tournament a couple of weeks ago, and our Santa Fe Prep Team swept their bracket. This bodes well for the spring Lacrosse season, where they will be defending their State Championship.
| |
|
Congratulations to our Girls' Varsity Volleyball Team who took all 3 games against Pecos last week. The girls won big: 25-17, 25-08, and 25-11. They played their best volleyball of the season; the gym was packed, loud and rowdy; and it was a great evening for the Blue Griffins and their annual Dig Pink fundraising event. Finally, we all are looking forwad to cheering on the Volleyball Team as they host the District Tournament Championship on the evening of Friday, November 7th (exact time TBA, please refer to the Prep website calendar later this week).
What a fantastic fall for all of the Blue Griffin Athletes!
| |
|
| PREP BLOOD DRIVE Prep's annual Blood Drive will be held on Tuesday, November 11th from 9:00 am-2:00 pm at the bottom of the library. Volunteers must be 16 years of age and older. Please contact Rennae Ross for more information and to schedule a donation appointment.
| |
| BOMBAY NIGHTPlease join us for our
Annual Booster Board Bombay on Friday, December 5th at 7pm at the Inn at Loretto. This festive holiday party raises nearly $50,000 each year to help support Prep's Athletics Program. Festivities include a silent auction, dinner buffet, and plenty of fun as participants see who will receive the grand prize of $5,000 for the winning ticket and 50% of board sales for the winning board. Tickets are $200 for two and can be purchased through
Booster Board Members.
| |
| WINTER ARTS NIGHT Please join us for a festive evening on Wednesday, December 10th at Prep's Driscoll Auditorium from 6:00-7:30 pm to celebrate our Upper School art students' wondrous accomplishments from the fall term. The Visual and Performing Arts Departments look forward to sharing music, performance, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, photography, drawing, and painting. There will also be a special art talk by this year’s Meem Award recipient, Katie Broyles '15.
- Brad Fairbanks,
Performing Arts Chair
- Paula Castillo,
Visual Arts Chair
| |
|
One of the most common concerns students and parents bring to both learning services and the counseling office is test anxiety and poor test performance. We often hear about students who feel they know the material, but bomb the tests. This happens for many reasons, but for the purpose of this short piece we have divided our suggestions into two parts that are equally important--preparing for tests and taking the test. Click here for ideas on how to help your child cope with test anxiety.
- Mikahla Beutler,
School Counselor
- Claire Romero,
Learning Specialist
| |
| ARTS COUNCIL FOR PREP Want to encourage the arts at Prep? Let's put our heads together to come up with some ideas to support the Visual and Performing Arts students and teachers. Exploratory meeting on Thursday, November 6th, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm in the Library Conference Room. Please join us!
| |
| BAG CREDITS FOR BREAKTHROUGH Did you know you can help Breakthrough by shopping at WHOLE FOODS this November and December? Just bring your reusable bags, and make sure to donate your bag credit to Breakthrough Santa Fe! And please SPREAD THE WORD to your family and friends.
| |
| BREAKING DOWN WALLS
On Monday, October 27th, Middle School students participated in an activity at lunch where they had a chance to talk with faculty and other students about how bully behavior builds walls around them. The students had earlier built a wall using paper bricks on which students had written their experiences with bullying. At lunch they then broke down the wall and took bricks to their tables for discussion. As students discussed the vignettes written on the bricks (either as an aggressor, bystander, target, or ally),they wrote down practical ways they will stand up against bully behavior. Click here to read more about Teaching Tolerance.
| |
| CHESS CLUB
On Saturday, October 18th, the Chess Club participated in their first team tournament of the year. Harsh Bhundiya '16, Tyler Axelrod '18, Oliver Hillenkamp '17, and Adam Melk '16 represented the Upper School, and Tilman Conway '20, Jon McHorse '20, Amory Malin '20, Abigail Francis '20, and Emma Lawrence '20 represented the Middle School.
The team fought bravely and fearlessly, and boasted a 65% winning record. Although many of our students were participating in their first competition, and one of our students had only been playing chess for two weeks, Prep won nearly 2/3 of the games that were played.
Everyone is enthusiastic, learning fast, and building excitement about the next tournament, which will be held at Prep on Saturday, November 22nd. For more information contact Joey Reich at jreich@sfprep.org.
| |
| UPPER SCHOOL QUAD
ART INSTALLATIONIn case you missed Jessie Hodges' '16 art installation and demonstration "Positive and Negative Space" on campus last week, Jessie created positive space and negative space via an inflatable 8 ft. cube that was staged in the entrance to the quad. She first videotaped students walking toward the main entrance to the quad through positive space, and then later videotaped students as they were forced to walk around negative space created by the giant cube. This is a project Jessie designed last summer at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
| |
| SPEECH & DEBATE
The Speech and Debate Team, aka the Growling Griffins, attended the East Mountain HS Speech Tournament on Saturday, October 18th. Gina Maran '16 won 2nd place in Humorous Interpretation, Jules Wheaton '15 won 3rd place in Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking, and Amanda Jacobs '16 won 4th place in Expository Speaking. Kudos to both Amanda and Jules, who were trying these events for the first time.
Next Up: The Prep Speech & Congress Tournament on Saturday, November 15th.This is an all-day event, and the team is looking for volunteers who can help judge one or more rounds for speakers from all over New Mexico! A large turnout is expected, and events will be happening all over campus. If you are interested in judging for all or part of the day, please email Tom Cork to volunteer. We appreciate your help!
| |
| RUMMAGE SALE PICK UP
Now’s the time to purge for a cause! The Rummage Sale date is April 11th, but if you have things to donate NOW, we are ready for you! This year we will pick up heavy items at your house with a week’s notice--furniture, exercise equipment, etc. We ask that the donations are accessible and ready to load into the truck. No electronics or old office furniture, please. To schedule a pick up, please call Rummage Sale Chair Jill Gerber at 505.670.9724.
| |
| ¡FELICIDADES!
Luis Fernández-Zavala, father of Alisandro '16, Abelino '18, and Darío '18, has published a collection of fictional short stories in Spanish, El guerrero de la espuma y otras tantas despedidas (Pukiyari Editors, 2014). “The six stories are narrated with humor, desire and irony; the life’s ups and downs and travels of the protagonists show the signs of a lost identity between the memories and the need to understand the unforeseen,” says Dr. Gregory Zambrano of University of Tokyo. The cover includes artwork by the emblematic Santa Fe artist Tavlos, and the back cover photo of the author was taken by Alisandro Fernández '16. The book is available at ALLÁ bookstore, located at 102 W San Francisco Street.
| |
|
