Happy belated birthday, NMH! The school turned 132 in November, with celebration cake for all. Since then, there has been a near-constant stream of concerts, plays, dance performances, and sporting events to enjoy. Final head of school candidates visited campus, and then the flurry of the last week of classes began. As everyone hunkered down for exams, Head of School Charlie Tierney wished students good luck and offered a bit of lighthearted inspiration in verse.
And it came to pass.
Early in the morning toward the last day this semester,
There arose a great multitude smiting the books and wailing.
And there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth,
For the day of judgment was at hand
And they were so afraid, for they had left undone
Those things which they ought to have done,
And they had done
Those things which they ought not to have done
And there was no help for it.
Head of School Search
NMH’s search for a new head of school is nearly complete. Three final candidates each visited campus in early December to meet with members of the search committee as well as faculty, staff, students, parents, administrators, and trustees. The search committee has selected a candidate to recommend to the board of trustees. The board will carefully consider the search committee's recommendation and expects to make and announce its decision no later than early January.
Board of Trustees Transition
As NMH welcomes a new head of school next year, it also will undergo a leadership change on its 29-member board of trustees. In late November, it was announced that Mark Chardack ’73, the current board chair, would complete his tenure after Commencement in May 2012. Bill Shea ’72, who joined the board in 2002, was recently elected by his fellow trustees to assume the role of chair.
Chardack served 18 years on the board, the last six at the helm. Following the loyal, thoughtful service of Chairman Emeritus William Rhodes ’53, Chardack helped steer NMH through the challenges of consolidating the school on one campus, selling the Northfield core campus, and managing the school’s leadership changes this year. Shea has led the head of school search committee that resulted from those changes, as well as the board’s advancement committee and the successful 130th Anniversary Campaign as a co-chair.
Read more.
Christmas Vespers
The candles were lit, the sounds of Vivaldi and Pachelbel floated though the chapel, and a bright moon crossed the sky outside. Northfield Mount Hermon held its annual Christmas Vespers service on Dec. 4, and approximately a quarter of the student body participated; they sang, played in the orchestra, lit candles, and gave readings. Afterward, Spanish teacher Sue Borland wrote in an email message to the community, “I can officially begin celebrating and getting ready for Christmas!” See photos of Vespers
here and a video clip
here.
Seeing the World
“When you say you work for National Geographic, people say it must be so sexy and fun,” says photographer Amy Toensing, who spoke on campus about her work as part of the Wantman Family State of the World lecture series.
“It’s not glamorous, but it’s incredibly enriching,” she says. “I get to engage with the world in a way I never would without a camera.”
Toensing’s current project is on Aboriginal culture in remote Australian territories. She traveled around the region for a combined nine weeks, taking roughly 30,000 photos in the process. But
National Geographic assignments aren’t just about taking pictures, she says. “They’re about hanging out with people and gaining their trust.” Read the
full story.
Mmm....Pie
Runners, joggers, and walkers once again criss-crossed campus and the surrounding area with dessert on their minds in the 121st Bemis-Forslund Pie Race, held the week before Thanksgiving. The race, which a November 15 Boston Globe article called a “quest for glory and apple pie,” attracted more than 265 participants despite a steady drizzle on campus.
A pair of current faculty members took the top spots: History and social science teacher Grant Gonzalez finished with a time of 24:27:941 and English teacher Katie Simon finished in 29:11:371. Listen to coverage of the Pie Race from
New England Public Radio (WFCR 88.5) and find full race results, photos, and a video clip
here.
Going to the Show
In late November, NMH baseball enthusiasts gave thanks for Oliver Drake ’06, a former NMH pitcher and shortstop who was selected to the Baltimore Orioles’ 40-man roster a few days before Thanksgiving.
Drake, 24, signed with the Orioles in 2008 after attending the U.S. Naval Academy for two years. This past season he played for three different Baltimore affiliates, going 11-8 with a combined 3.32 earned run average across the three different levels.
Drake has now earned an automatic invitation to major league spring training in February, not to mention a better shot at achieving his ultimate goal: a spot on the Orioles’ active 25-man major league roster. “He’s clearly valued as one of the top players in the entire organization,” says Boston Red Sox scout Galen Carr ’93. Read
more.
Math Class, Flipped
In a conventional math class, students learn new material from the teacher and do homework at home. However, some NMH teachers are exploring a new, innovative method—called “flipped thinking”—that turns that formula on its head. On their own, students watch online videos from websites such as Khan Academy and the University of Houston and complete interactive lessons. During class, they work together on sets of problems. The goal is to allow students to play a larger role in their own learning and set their own pace.
Dick Peller, chair of the math department, introduced the program to his BC calculus students at the beginning of the fall semester. “It made so much sense that I knew I had to try it,” he says. “The more we can put learning in the hands of the individual student, the more effective it can be.” Read the full
story.
Athletic Hall of Fame
Despite a freak snowstorm that postponed Halloween trick-or-treating in several towns around NMH, many alumni persevered and made the Homecoming events of Oct. 29 a true representation of NMH spirit. The school’s Athletic Hall of Fame inducted new member teams, including several from the 1951–52 school year—football, boys cross-country, and boys track—as well as the 1980–81 girls soccer team.
A member of the soccer team, Ellen Bossert ’82, wrote that like so many other coaches, her coach—Mark “Commander” Jander ’50—“taught a bunch of teenagers that regardless of outcomes, you've got to be in the game, you've got to show up, you've got to believe in yourself despite your doubts, you have to own and embrace who you are despite your imperfections, and action trumps everything.”
See photos of the induction dinner
here.
Winter Calendar Highlights
Keep up with NMH events, both on and off campus. Find a full calendar
here.
Dec. 14-16: Final exams
Dec. 16: Off-Campus Vespers, Church of St. Mary the Virgin, 145 West 46th St., New York, 7 pm
Dec. 20: Hanukkah begins
Dec. 25: Christmas
Jan. 4: Spring semester begins
Through Jan. 20: The Gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center, paintings by Luis Stephens P '04, '07
Feb. 3–March 1: The Gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center, "Photographs from Around the World," Dan Mead and Sally Eagle
