When life at NMH picks up, it REALLY picks up! In the past month, students, faculty, and staff have commemorated the birthday of school founder D.L. Moody; launched the Green Cup Challenge, an interscholastic competition to reduce electricity consumption; and lined up to donate blood to the Red Cross. We kept track of students as they represented NMH at Model U.N. conferences in Prague and Qatar, competed in dozens of sporting events, and wowed the Rhodes Arts Center audience during an acapella festival. There were a few quiet skating sessions on Shadow Lake, but most of the ice action was in McCollum Arena, where the hockey teams—especially
girls' varsity—keep showing us what hard work is all about.
Winter Family Days
You came to campus; you saw world history, calculus, and chemistry classes; you conquered the noodle bar in the dining hall; and we loved every minute of it! On Feb. 3 and 4, more than 600 parents and relatives trekked to NMH for Winter Family Days—not always an easy task, given New England’s unpredictable weather—and met with teachers and advisors to catch up on how students are faring a month into the semester. There was lots of cheering on of athletes and applauding of performers. See
photos from the weekend and a
video about what some of you brought your kids from home.
Head-elect Visits Campus
The campus welcomed its head-elect, Peter Fayroian, for a two-day visit in the middle of January, and he barely had a moment to catch his breath in between all the introductions and handshakes. “The first thing I’m going to do when I begin work at NMH is get to as many people as I possibly can, hear their stories, and learn about their history with the school,” he said. “Any work that I do has to come from a place of understanding.”
Read more.
Founder's Day/Dwight Night
On the last weekend of January, the NMH community celebrates the birthday of school founder D.L. Moody with two events: a formal dance on Saturday night, known as Dwight Night
(see photos); and a Sunday afternoon all-school assembly in Memorial Chapel. The Founder’s Day gathering is usually a formal affair, with school songs and speeches about Moody’s legacy, but this year, there also was something a little different: a faculty flash mob!
Read more.
Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day at NMH wasn’t a day OFF, it was a day ON. In fact, it was more like a
week on. The Student Diversity Committee and James Greenwood, director of multicultural education, assembled a roster of events that touched on many aspects of diversity: Among them was a workshop on identity, a forum about affinity groups on campus, and a rousing keynote speech by Bishop Vashti McKenzie, who was the first female bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Read more.
International Carnival
Capping off MLK week was the annual International Carnival, an evening of food and performances that highlights the variety of cultures that the school is so proud of. International students and members of affinity groups cooked dozens of dishes (falafel! soup with dumplings! chocolate mousse!) and performed music and dance pieces before a satiated audience.
See photos.
Good Reads
NMH faculty members are always talking about kids and education, whether the topic is technology in teaching, classroom approaches in other countries, or the pros and cons of social networking. Check out a handful of the articles they’ve been passing around.
Commencement 2012
The NMH community is looking forward to celebrating the 129th Commencement on May 27, 2012. To help families of seniors plan ahead, the school has compiled information about events and activities
here.
Parent Giving
This year, NMH parents so far have boosted the Annual Fund by more than $251,000, which is a sound endorsement from a vital part of the NMH community. Thank you. To include all families in this effort—which allows the school to fulfill its mission of education for the head, heart, and hand—NMH parent volunteers will be making calls on Saturday, Feb. 11. Please take a moment to chat and consider participating in the fundraising challenge. If you would like help call, please email
Rennie Washburn or call 413-498-3673.
Upcoming Calendar Highlights
Parents are welcome to attend NMH events on and off campus. Please check the
full calendar for more information.
Feb. 3–March 1
Gallery at the Rhodes Arts Center
"Photographs from Around the World"
Dan Mead and Sally Eagle
Feb. 9–11
“Eurydice,” Rhodes Arts Center, 7:30 pm
Feb. 19
Big Brother Big Sisters benefit concert, RAC, 3 pm
Feb. 23–25
Dance Concert, RAC, 7:30 pm
March 1
Faculty on the Road with Lorrie Byrom, history teacher and director of the Center for International Education, Washington, D.C.
March 4
Faculty on the Road with Becca Leslie, science teacher, Philadelphia
March 25–April 27
Annual Student Art Show
