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Shared EnterPrise


Few professional endeavors allow adults to hit the "reset" button and start anew. Professional athletes, actors, certainly farmers and river/ski guides—these come first-to-mind in terms of adults whose work is seasonal. Beginning. Middle. End. Across that season something meaningful is produced.

And, of course, teachers and students working together to craft knowledge and purpose and growth in the shared enterprise of a school year. We've made the turn into our "season," my 21st as the Head of School at Prep and my 34th as an educator. I look forward to all that will unfold this year as we lean into the important work at hand. 

- Jim Leonard, Head of School

EE FORD SUMMER TEACHERS' COLLOQUIUM 
Mark Bixby with participant David Berthold from Kinkaid Academy at Bandelier. 

Over the summer, the EE Ford Summer Teachers' Colloquium completed its seventh year with nearly 60 participants from all over the country. The program is intended to provide professional teachers a chance to explore their subject deeply with a diverse group of colleagues; it is a chance for them to fill up the tank before the school year.
Through discussion, outings, field trips, and guest speakers, the courses incorporate the unique resources of Santa Fe. This year's courses were:


Breaking Bard with Breshaun Joyner
Confluencia with Sheena Chakeres
CultureLab with Kristin Kalangis
Death Comes for the Archbishop with Liz Friary
Field School of the Ancient Southwest with Mark Bixby
The River Why with Sam Ritter

What's Your Story with Rob Wilder
What the Junco and Coyote Know with Marc Reynolds


Drew Nucci served as the Director of the Colloquium for its first six years. With his departure, Advancement Associate Julia Abbiss stepped in and seamlessly ran the program as Interim Director. Next year, new Associate Director of Admissions Summar Aubrey '00, will take over as Director. 

Learn more about this innovative professional development program here: EE Ford Summer Teachers' Colloquium.
MEET YOUR PARENTS' ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE!
Please welcome Co-Presidents Chris Nordstrum, parent of Myles ’24, and Mary Jane Parks, parent of Hayden ’25. Returning this year are Secretary Marci Riskin, parent of Fionnuala ’25, and Treasurer Mitch Koolpe, parent of Hannah ’20 and Sophia ’20 (and Emma ’17). The first Parents’ Association meeting of the school year will be Tuesday, September 10 at 8:15am in the Founders’ Room. Come and hear about the upcoming school year!  

Be sure to mark your calendars now for upcoming Parents’ Association meetings, which are held the second Tuesday of each month during the school year at 8:15am in the Founders’ Room:

September 10
October TBD
November 12
December 10  
January 14
February 11
March - no meeting, spring break
April 14
May 12

BREAKTHROUGH SPOTLIGHT
“If you’re going to fail, fail big.” Alex Oquedo, 2018-19 teaching fellow and Breakthrough graduate, refers to this quote each time an opportunity closes, to inspire him into a new and better shot at success. 

Alex describes his childhood as a perfect one: with a stable home, freedom, and support from his family and teachers—which in turn made him grateful for all of the experiences he has had. Along with this support came the encouragement from his family to sing and learn to play guitar. This is his ongoing hobby that allows him to explore his creativity, while also developing himself intellectually. 

Ever aiming upwards, Alex graduated from Capital High School with the prestigious Daniel’s Scholarship this past May. He will be attending St. Edward’s University this fall, with hopes to spend his time studying global issues, learning a new language, and traveling to a foreign country as a study abroad student.

Alex has always been a curious person, a trait which he brought to Breakthrough beginning in his 7th grade summer in the program. Over the years, Breakthrough became the place that he could be his most authentic self, which is why he returned as a teaching fellow for the 2018 and 2019 summer program. Alex wanted to give back to the community that had such a big impact on his life. As a middle school math teacher, he found incredible satisfaction in creating space for students to express their own innate curiosity. He hopes to take the lessons learned and joy found in the Breakthrough community with him to college this fall. 

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS 
In late July, yearbook advisor Alex Peña accompanied a group of dedicated yearbook students to Ignite University, an annual yearbook camp held on Pepperdine University's campus in Malibu, California. Co-editors Susannah Murray '20 and Tucker Hastings '20 were joined by integral team members, Piper Old '20, and Ruby Bixby '22.

The camp is comprehensive and intense. Students attended classes in digital photography, Adobe software, writing, and good design principles. In addition, each school's yearbook staff works intensively with a mentor, coach, a representative from the publishing company, and their advisor in preparation for the 2019-2020 yearbook. Their work culminates in a project that is critiqued and judged. Prep's team came back with a "Silver" award—quite an accomplishment considering they were up against many much larger schools. Oh, and the staff was able to enjoy some sun and waves on the Malibu beach!

This year's book is guaranteed to be a hit!


Science teacher Jocelyne Comstock taught a course at the 2019 Summer Physics Camp for Young Women in mid-June. The camp was organized by Los Alamos National Laboratory, the New Mexico Consortium, Pojoaque Valley, and Los Alamos Public Schools for girls from across the northern part of the state. The girls were chosen by application to participate in the 2-week camp. In addition to many physics activities, they met a number of scientists and took a roadtrip to LANL for a day. Jocelyn taught a class on forces and played "Broom Ball" with the students to show them the forces involved in movement.

Jazlyn Sanchez '20 participated in the program. Congratulations to Jazlyn for being the first Prep student to participate in this great program!


Associate Director of Technology Ambrose Ferber and English teacher Breshaun Joyner have been working all summer with the International Shakespeare Center (ISC) on two plays. On August 22, they will open with King Henry IV Part One, and Measure for Measure will open on August 23. Both shows will run through September 8. All performances will take place at the Swan Theater in Santa Fe. In addition to performing, Ambrose has choreographed some impressive sword fights and battle scenes for Henry IV.

You can see the schedule and get tickets here
English teacher Sarah Stark spent most of June at a writing residency at Annaghmakerrig, an artist and writing residency in Monaghan County, Ireland. Also known as the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annaghmakerrig was the family home of theatrical director Sir Tyrone Guthrie, who bequeathed it to the Irish nation to be used as a retreat. This was a rich experience for Sarah, allowing her to meet writers and artists from around the world—many from Ireland—who were also hard at work on creative endeavors at the center. Sarah spent the time re-framing her novel-in-progress and rejuvenating her spirit in the process.
Upon returning, Sarah and her 9-year-old son, Jack, opened an exhibition at El Zaguan (545 Canyon Road). The show includes pages from Sarah's in-progress graphic memoir, A Story We All Know, and illustrations of classic cars and airplanes by Jack. All the work is black pen on paper. The work will be exhibited through the end of the month with a closing celebration on Friday, August 30, 5-7pm.
IMPORTANT DATES
Mon, Aug 19:
New Family Orientation,
4:00 - 5:30pm

Wed, Aug 21:
School Begins,
8:15am 

Tues, Aug 27:
7th Grade 
Parent Meeting, 
Founders' Room, 5:30pm

Wed, Aug 28:
9th Grade 
Parent Meeting, 
Founders' Room, 5:30pm

Thurs, Aug 29:
12th Grade 
Parent Meeting, 
Founders' Room, 5:30pm

Mon, Sept 2:
Labor Day, 
No School

Wed, Sept 4 - Fri, Sept 6:
Senior College Workshops, 
US Camping Trips, 
MS Orientation Trips

Tues, Sept 10:
10th/11th Grade 
Parent Meeting, 
Founders' Room, 5:30pm

Wed, Sept 11:
8th Grade
Parent Meeting, Founders' Room, 5:30pm

Thurs, Sept 12: 
MS TAP Begins

Thurs, Sept 19:  
US TAP Begins 

Sat, Sept 21: 
Parent Open House,
8:45am - 1:00pm

Mon, Sept 30:
Rosh Hashanah,
No School




Wondering what's for lunch this month?

Click here: Lunch Menu
NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION
New families, please join us Monday, August 19 from 4:00 - 5:30pm to jump-start the transition into Santa Fe Prep. Parents will hear from Head of School Jim Leonard, and students will gather with advisors or deans to get those last-minute questions answered, receive academic schedules and planners, find lockers, and make sure they know how to find their classrooms. 
SAVE THE DATE
Parent Open House will be held Saturday, September 21. Come “back to school” and spend some time in your child's shoes where you will visit short sessions of your child's classes, meet their advisors, and enjoy lunch provided by our Parents' Association. No need to RSVP—see you soon!
GRIFFIN SHOUT OUTS 
Zeke Korte '24 and Cole Litzenberg  '25 participated in Spanish Market as youth artists.

This is Cole's third year showcasing the retablos he loves to create. Cole is pictured above with his mentor, artist Charlie Carrillo, from whom he has learned "that everyone has a different style of creating traditional art." In describing his mentorship with Charlie, Cole said, "He has taught me all of his secret hints and styles, but then I get to make it my own."
Zeke creates tin art, guided by Hojolatero (tinworker) and mentor Richard Gabriel. In describing why he enjoys this work, Zeke said, "This is how Nortenos keep their living art forms from disappearing. It’s called cultural preservation...I have been lucky enough to win some awards but I don’t do it for awards. I do it because I want to share my joy with everyone." 

Congratulations to Cole and Zeke! We look forward to seeing more of your work in the years to come.
Grand Canyon Snow, oil and mica on panel
Art teacher Matt Mullins' work was featured in a show called Mountain Standard Time that spanned three locations: Visions West Contemporary galleries in Denver, Livingston, and Jackson Hole. His work was also part of the Summer Show at Form and Concept in Santa Fe, which will be up until October 12. 
Congratulations to National Champion Hayden Colfax '20! Hayden won the 17-18 division heptathlon at the USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor National Championship, in Durham, NC in June.
Shout out to Reilly Brislawn '22 who was awarded High-School All-American second-team recognition in epee and sabre, as well as High-School All-Academic first-team honors at Summer Nationals, USA Fencing.
Griffin friends and families, have you found us on Facebook and Instagram yet? Follow us to keep up with day-to-day campus-wide events, learning experiences, and overall fun!

 
 
 
 
 
 
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