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Parent Update: May 17, 2018

Life After NMH: What’s Next?

The date is in your sights. Whether it is May 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021, NMH Commencement is the culmination of your student’s (and your!) hard work. The build-up is what our students describe as “epic,” and the day is full of pride, emotion, a dash of relief, and hundreds of hugs and well wishes as NMH seniors scatter around the world to pursue their dreams.

So what’s next? NMH graduates’ paths are varied, but one thing is certain: from the moment they walk across that stage, they are part of the worldwide alumni body, which is nearly 30,000 people strong. Your decision to send your student to NMH offers lifelong benefits. This education for the head, heart, and hand will continue to enrich their lives and provide connections both socially and professionally.

Those benefits are magnified when graduates choose to be active members of the NMH Alumni Association! They can follow the Young Alumni Facebook page, get nominated for the Young Alumni Committee of the Alumni Council, join their Reunion Planning Committee, and continue supporting the school through annual gifts to the NMH Fund. Alumni volunteers become Class Notes editors, help run alumni events, participate in Sacred Concert, and spread news about alumni successes and campus happenings.

Molly Googins Talbot ’93, P’21, president of the NMH Alumni Association, reflects just weeks before celebrating her 25th Reunion, “We became a member of the association the day we signed our name in the matriculation book in our first days at NMH. We know what a workjob is, we’ve climbed Mount Monadnock, we can still sing Jerusalem by heart. I love to know that so many of the traditions we celebrated during my four years at NMH happened well before my time and continue today. It never ceases to amaze me that what I felt was special about NMH nearly 30 years ago is the same feeling that my daughter, Hadley ’21, feels today.”

Congratulations on a successful school year! Please encourage your student or graduate to stay connected to NMH through social media and, when the time comes, to take full advantage of the NMH Alumni Association’s global network.

End-of-the-Year Information

In the blink of an eye, the 2017–18 school year will be over. The academic year ends Friday, May 25, at 1 pm, with reading day on Tuesday, May 22, and the exam schedule running from Wednesday, May 23, to Friday, May 25. Students may leave after their final commitment (workjob, exams, sports, etc.), even if this falls earlier than May 25 at 1 pm. Many students, however, choose to stay until Friday. The charter bus to JFK will depart on Friday, May 25, at 2 pm.

During the last week of school, students have time to pack and to clean their rooms. By the time parents arrive to pick up students on Friday, most students should have packing well underway. Before leaving campus, students must check out with a dorm faculty member to turn in their room key and go through final room inspection. Please help us by encouraging your student to pack before Sunday; who wants to rush to pack following Commencement?

Commencement will be held at 11 am on May 27 and can be viewed via livestream; details can be found here. Make reservations for the Commencement eve dinner here. (Reservations are required and the deadline is May 20.) Read these Helpful Hogger Hints as you plan for Commencement weekend.

Please note that the NMH campus is nicotine free. During your time here, please don't use nicotine products or provide them to others (even celebratory cigars following Commencement).

If your student wishes to remain on campus for Commencement weekend, you should know that all students must attend the weekend’s activities, including Class Day and Commencement. All events require special-occasion dress. Non-senior day students are not permitted to spend the night in the dorms, and no sleepovers between dorms are allowed. Dorm check-in for non-graduating students is 9 pm on both Friday and Saturday. They will be asked to work in the dormitory on Saturday and may be asked to help with the Commencement eve dinner. They should have their rooms ready for check-out by noon Saturday and must leave campus no later than 3 pm on Sunday, May 27.

Need to ship your student’s belongings home from school or to store them for the summer? NMH has made special arrangements with The UPS Store to ship worldwide or store items until the fall. Get details here.

NMH Students Selected for Prestigious Research Programs

Miles Kaming-Thanassi ’19 (left) and Ethan Ho ’19 are explorers driven by a spirited curiosity that propels their progress in science, mathematics, and engineering. This summer both will participate in seven-week research programs at Stony Brook University.

Miles was accepted into the Simons Summer Research Program, where he will work in the lab of Dr. Matthew Reuter in the Department of Applied Math and Statistics. Miles will be responsible for his own research project on “Conductance of Single Molecule Circuits,” and will produce written abstracts and research posters on this project. Ethan will take part in the intensive Research Scholar Program for High School Students at Stony Brook’s Garcia Center for Polymers and Engineered Interfaces. The program helps students explore polymer science and technology collaboratively.

These summer programs allow academically talented high school students to find out how exciting it can be to pursue scientific investigation at an internationally renowned research university. Ethan and Miles will be encouraged to make original contributions to the scientific community. They will learn laboratory techniques and how to publish and present their findings.

The science program at Northfield Mount Hermon gives students like Miles and Ethan the confidence to step up and take their places as investigators in math, science, technology, and engineering. Classroom instruction complements firsthand observations of the earth and sky, plant and animal life, the stars beyond, and the microscopic world within. This experiential approach to science develops critical-thinking skills students need to design and pursue original research. This foundation made Miles and Ethan ideal candidates for these summer programs.

Ethan says he has been fortunate to have worked on multiple science projects, including building solar cells with titanium dioxide, testing antioxidants’ effects on ultraviolet light exposure, and being on the NMH space balloon team that launched a weather balloon. “The science department at NMH provides an opportunity for students to excel in regular coursework and to pursue interests outside of the classroom,” he says. Teacher Jolene Schuster mentored Ethan and helped him grow as a scientist. “She’s really passionate about her work, and always is willing to help,” Ethan says.

Miles’ physics teacher Jay Ward nominated him for the Simons program. “Mr. Ward encouraged my classmates and me to pursue new avenues of exploration,” Miles says. “Thanks to him and all of my teachers, my enthusiasm for science is growing and the possibilities are limitless, but at the same time, I feel grounded by NMH’s emphasis on learning the fundamentals first.”

Seniors Vie to Speak at Commencement

Each spring, soon-to-be graduates compete for the honor of giving the senior oration at Commencement. Finalists present their speeches, and the the community chooses one person to address the class. With so many well-spoken candidates, it’s a tough choice. Here’s the story of how it went this year.


Announcements

Reserve now for Commencement eve dinner: Time is running out; make your reservation today! The reservation deadline for the Commencement Eve Dinner is May 20; please observe this date so you and your guests can be seated together. Only cash or check will be accepted at the door.

Peter Fayroian farewell event: Send your well wishes to outgoing Head of School Peter B. Fayroian and celebrate his leadership at Northfield Mount Hermon at this June 24 event in New York. Enjoy refreshments and appetizers on the rooftop of the Yale Club with Mr. Fayroian and fellow alumni, parents, and friends of NMH. View your invitation.

“Epilogue” dance concert: Come to see the final dance performance of the year on May 17–19, when the Senior and Junior Dance Companies present an eclectic array of styles. "Epilogue" features works choreographed by dance teachers Gretel Schatz and Taylor King and by current students. Read more and order tickets.

Talking to your teen about “13 Reasons Why”: A show about teen suicide is returning to Netflix for its second season. Click here to read a message from from NMH Health Services’ Director of Counseling Johanna Callard and learn tips for discussing the show with your student.

Food systems teach-in and farmers’ market: It was a beautiful day full of oxen, gazpacho, and learning about food systems in a variety of ways across campus. Students discussed the complexities of food systems while making smart food choices as part of the NMH food systems teach-in, a living laboratory. Click here to take a pictorial tour of the day.

NMH athletes invited to national teams: Congratulations to these NMH student athletes, who have been invited to their national team’s tryouts and camps.

Ferlinghetti poetry prize awarded: In honor of renowned Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti ’37, the NMH English department recently held the second annual Ferlinghetti Poetry Contest. Contestants wrote original works inspired by Ferlinghetti’s poetry in style, form, or content. Congratulations to Ayleen Cameron ’20 and her winning poem, “Unresolved.”

Plan now to study abroad in 2018-19: It's not too early to think about studying abroad in 2018–19! A variety of programs will be offered, including skiing in Norway, dancing in Ghana, and a service trip to Belize.

HOS Search Committee Announced: The final head-of-school search committee has been chosen. Click here to see who will help choose NMH’s next administrative leader.

Sacred Concert 2018: Did you miss your student’s performance at Sacred Concert? You can still watch the full concert.

Athletes of the Week: Congratulations to our latest honorees, Richard Sturtevant ’19 (track), Kyle Kazeroid ’18 (baseball), Chloe Chen ’18 (Ultimate), and Sophie McLaughlin ’18 (lacrosse). Read why they were chosen.


Upcoming Events

5/17 Spring athletic banquet
5/17–19 Dance concert: Epilogue
5/20 Reservation deadline for Commencement eve dinner
5/20 Baccalaureate
5/21 Senior tree planting
5/21 Yearbook pick-up
5/22 Reading day
5/23 Moving-up ceremony
5/23 Dorm dinners
5/23–25 Exams
5/25 Chateau dance
5/26 Commencement eve dinner
5/27 Commencement
5/28 Celebrate and rest!


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