HeadlinesHead of School D. Scott Wiggins

As I reflect upon the fall trimester,I marvel at the resiliency and

strength of community that haverevealed themselves. To say that thishas been a challenging term would bean understatement. Yet, through it all,the students and faculty have dealtadmirably with loss and triumphed ina multitude of venues. I find much tobe thankful for.

Losing one of our students and having another severely injuredin a tragic auto accident in late September was a blow thatstruck us hard—students, faculty, parents, and staff— and con-tinues to reverberate. In the aftermath of that tragedy, wehitched our wagons to each other and began the tearful andheart-wrenching journey to acceptance of that which we can-not change and to carrying on our lives, enriched by the fondmemories we have of Mark Frattaroli and the hope that ZachPhillips will experience a full recovery. Time and again thesepast months, I have seen students and faculty reaching out toeach other to lend a supporting hand when the going got par-ticularly tough. Through it all, I have witnessed multiple actsof kindness and caring that collectively define what a “real”community is all about. Indeed, I have been encouraged thesepast months by the knowledge that the sense of community wehave been working to strengthen at Lawrence Academy hasproved to be unshakable.

As low as the lows were as September turned into October,there have been highs aplenty that have brought accomplish-ment and pride to our campus.

In the athletic realm, the girls’ varsity field hockey team spentOctober and November successfully storming the castles ofperennial ISL powerhouses one by one. Then, on November16, our undefeated squad bested Middlesex School in thechampionship round of the NEPSAC post-season tourna-ment—at Middlesex! At the final whistle, our field hockeyteam assumed once and for all that special “powerhouse” sta-tus in its own right.

Fall 2008

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Note to Powderhouse Gazette readers: Because there is nowa weekly electronic bulletin informing parents about upcomingevents, the Gazette will now report on student achievementsand campus events at the completion of each term. We hopeyou will enjoy reviewing the highlights!

A NEWSLETTER FOR LAWRENCE ACADEMY PARENTS AND FRIENDS

POWDERHOUSEGAZETTE

Eileen Keever of the history depart-ment recognized a junior for his worklast year in the Combined StudiesCourse. Acknowledging that some stu-dents enter the CSC with a lack of con-fidence in their skills, Ms. Keeverdescribed Marco Raffaelli as havingappeared to give up before even get-ting started on challenging assign-ments. Eventually, though, he engi-neered a turnaround: “What finally allowed him to perform atthe top of his class at the end of the last term was that he wasforced to miss a week’s worth of class time. Marco managednot simply to make up the work he missed, but to earn the bestgrades he had all year on the course’s final paper and seminarupon returning from his absence. I’m not sure what that saysabout my own skills in the classroom, but I do know what itsays about Marco’s work ethic and intellectual abilities oncehe stops thinking about what he can’t do and decides to showwhat he can do.”

Director of Dance Brian Feigenbaum,on behalf of the arts department, pre-sented a commendation to senior OllieTaylor for leadership by example inthe dance studio. After pointing outthat being a good athlete does not nec-essarily mean a student will performwell under pressure, he explained thatnot all dancers “bring it” with equalsuccess on the night of performances.On those evenings, “it is essential that dancers or actors bringtheir best teamwork, selflessness, encouragement, and honesty,plus an awareness that the collective goal is far more importantthan individual achievement.” Mr. Feigenbaum, in recalling aperformance Ollie did with Chris Lane’08 and Steve Brown’08,took great pleasure in recognizing the senior for having“brought it all to the dance studio” and for always working“with the utmost professionalism.”

Spring Term Commendations

In early September, the community celebrated the academicsuccesses of the final term of the 2007–2008 year. Students

in the Cum Laude Society called those who had achieved hon-ors or high honors to the stage, where Head of School ScottWiggins presented them with pins signifying academic excel-lence. Faculty then identified four students, who did not appearon the honor rolls, but who made an impression with theirdetermination to excel and willingness to take responsibilityfor their own success—two traits held in high esteem atLawrence Academy.

Math teacher Justin Cotter described afamiliar scenario: a student who doeswell at the beginning of the year andthen finds the going gets tough. Wouldshe take the low road and slide towardC’s, or the high road and “completelyreinvent herself as a math student:show up to extra help 2–3 days aweek, put more time into each of herhomework assignments, sit in the frontrow, ask pertinent questions in class, and inspire those aroundher to become stronger students”? Leigh Burgess ’11 took thehigh road, earning the math commendation as well as an hon-ors grade in the final term of the year.

“If all my students were as motivated,inquisitive, caring, and engaged as thisstudent,” Scott Smith of the Englishdepartment began, “all I would have todo from eight o’clock to two fifteen isanswer questions.” With the enviabletask of having to ask a student to stemthe tide of questions to allow othersmore opportunities to speak, Mr. Smithsaid, “While she improved in thisregard over the course of the year, I was particularly impressedby the progress she made with her written work. I know shehas a bright future ahead of her in English, and I admire hervitality and energy not just in the classroom, but in life in gen-eral.” The commendation went to Jordan Lovejoy ’10.

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NMSQTCommended Students

Commended students in the NationalMerit Scholarship Program, Sam

Feigenbaum, Nell Lapres, ShannonMuscatello, and Nick Slaney earned the distinction by placing among thetop 50,000 of the 1.5 million juniorsnationwide who took the PreliminarySAT/National Merit ScholarshipQualifying Test last year.

Sam Feigenbaum ’09 Nick Slaney ’09Shannon Muscatello ’09Nell Lapres ’09

Fall 2008 3

Fall Term Honor Rolls

The following students received high honors for the fallterm by earning a grade point average of at least 3.5 with

no grade below a B.

Class of 2009: Lillian Beck, Sarah Berman, Marina Bousa,Benjamin Brennan, Nicholas Caesar, Amy Caron, TimothyCaron, Thomas Chen, Julie Consoletti, Brendan Cottam,Andrew Craig, Hilary Cranston, Cory Davis, Tyler Davis,David Edmunds, Micah Ehiorobo, Samuel Feigenbaum, LoganGillis, Samantha Goldman, Tristan Haman, Hsiang-TingHuang, Bradie Hutchinson, Andrea Kimbrell, Nell Lapres,Kyung-Min Lee, Bernard Leed, On Lee Leung, Jessica Lunt,Nicholas Monath, Elibet Moore, Sakurako Mori, ShannonMuscatello, Tyler Orfao, Lia Palmacci, Bliss Parsons, AkulPatel, Melissa Puleo, Nathaniel Saideh, Jennifer Samel, ColinScholefield, Nicholas Slaney, Albert Sun, Oliver Taylor, RosaValentin, and Christopher Watson.

Class of 2010: Elizabeth Berman, Angelica Bishop, JuliaBrooks, Irene Bucken, Dylan Callahan, Yoo-Jin Cho, SaraDavey, Jessica DeVito, Carly Edelstein, Rebecca Fleming,Kyle Gietzen, Kate Gilmore, Samantha Greenberg, NicholasHamel, Frances Hamilton, Aaron Heller, Kathryn Lawrence,Sun Young Lee, Sarah Logan, Maria-Angela Mandes-Brasili,Caitlin Morrison, Rachel Niemoller, Danielle Pedra, JessicaPeterson, Elizabeth Plowman, Andrew Savage, StephanieSaywell, Kelsey Scamman, Yoshihiro Shumiya, Kerrin Sperry,Emily Trussler, Mar’yana Vartsaba, Elizabeth Venuti, andChristine Wilkins.

Class of 2011: Dianna Banker, Kelly Banker, Matthew Boone,Rebecca Bostick, Daniel Caesar, Jennifer Caron, Jordan Cobb,Brendon Donoghue, Emily Fox, Daniel Giovacchini, LauraGreenwood, Eric Leung, Lucie Levine, Jamie Newsome,Catherine Pears, Stephanie Regan, Alexandra Savely, andNicholas Yavorsky.

Class of 2012: Chase Conklin, Sean Foster, Emily Gregoire,Connor Kilian, Teresa Russell, and Jennifer Weil.

The following students received honors for the fall term byearning a grade point average of at least 3.0 with no gradebelow a B-.

Class of 2009: Qaasim Ahmed, Jamie Aponas, Nicole Bartlett,Andrew Bauer, Jonathan Brooks, Landon Fritz, Andrew Haber,Kelly Horan, Thitiwachara Horesaengchai, Kathleen Joumas,James Karol, Chelsea Knapp, Charles Loeb, Sang Ill Ma,Kathryn Majike, Chandler Manly, Whitney Martin, JasonMolle, Ashley Motherwell, Elizabeth Mudge, Michelle Ng,Philip Picard-Fraser, Daniel Rice, Sarah Riggert, LucianRogers, Sarah Roop, John SanClemente, Yune Jin Song,Katharine Spring, Cameron Stone, Tory Stone, Alan Wakeman,and Micah Williams.

Class of 2010: Jeremy Bellino, Katherine Boudreau, DenzelBrito, Jeffrey Jiun Chen, Mengshen Chen, Bryan Chubbs,Danielle Doherty, Ryan Foster, Kelly Greacen, Antonia

Grobien, Chelsea Gruttadauria, Jian Jun Guo, Thomas Hartner,Skyler Herczeg, Michael Hernandez, Emily Holmes, ThomasHotchkiss, Baylie Lamarre, Margaret Lewis, Jordan Lovejoy,Arjun Mathur, Kara McLaughlin, Ian McWilliams, AmandaMovsessian, Tierra Nieves, Margaret Raemer, Edward Selian,Mitchell Smith, Lucas Sousa, Ye Tao, Lia Wickerham, LukeYavorsky, and Minsoo Yoo.

Class of 2011: Natalie Azarela, Matthew Bosselait, MaxwellBrown, David Burke, Brittany Cappetta, Kelsey Carroll, RohilChandhok, Hannah Corbin, Amanda Dempsey, DrewDidriksen, Joshua Elowe, Hayley Finn, Jackson Forelli,Samuel Gilboard, Marcus Grant, Scott Isbell, MichaelJamieson, Victoria John, Meghan Killian, Patricia Manent,Kyung Jay Minn, Jackson Moore, Alison Pouliot, SamanthaRomilly, Erica Rowden, Rebecca Rowse, Zachery Sarkis,Brooke Simpson, MengJia Song, Bryce Stocks, Peter Taylor,Ardis Tennyson-Loiselle, David Tocci, and Matthew Tower.

Class of 2012: Tyler Beauchesne, Gabriel Bishop, John Britt,Andrea Fei, Sabrina Galiney, Jaclyn Gordon, Boyd Green,Geoffrey Keane, Kevin Kelly, Jacob Knox, Kyo Joon Koo, ChiLee, Molly McNulty, Brettt McQuaide, Erin Morrison,Alexandra Neiman, Connor Nims, Katherine Quebec, ShannonSaywell, Akila Shanmugaraj, Julia Tesoro, Devin Tringale,Alexandra Vassilakos, Mary Katherine Waldie, Tyler Whitney,William Wickerham, and Zoe Zimmerman.

Fall Term Commendations

“The road to becoming an activelearner, like art and life, some-

times comes down to how you over-come your self-doubts and fears,” saidJeff Good, NGP coordinator, and noone doubts that coming to a newschool will supply plenty of both.“Quiet, mumbling, often hiding underhis hooded sweatshirt, Alex Cates ’12seemed disengaged in class in

September,” he said, but soon after midterms he took control—“he chose to make the effort to communicate with his teachers,ask questions, get feedback, and take responsibility for hislearning.” Mr. Good concluded with advice for those who arelooking for one of the keys to academic success, becoming anindependent learner: “When you don’t know or would like toknow more about something, ASK.”

Margaret Ebert of the science depart-ment chose to recognize two studentsin a single citation. According to Ms.Ebert, juniors Taylor Colliton andNick Comeau proved to be twins inas-much as they share the same com-mendable qualities that have, however,prevented them from excelling in herbiology class. Both students provedimaginative when it came to generating

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excuses for not completing their homework, but, as theirteacher observed, “good excuses are not part of my gradingrubric, so I often had to remind these students to turn in their

written assignments.” Their handing inwork late, she added, sometimes meantthat they were not sufficiently preparedfor tests and quizzes. Both Taylor andNick also demonstrated a professionalcomic’s delivery when it came toamusing their classmates, she said, butsometimes at the expense of informa-tion essential to their success in theclass. What turned it around—the reason for the commendation—“is that

both of these students made an important decision before thefinal exam,” a decision that resulted in A’s on a challengingexam that asked in some sections for “real-time analysis ofdata as yet unseen.” Following practically the same paths awayfrom and then toward academic success, both students havedemonstrated that success in Biology is clearly within theirreach should they continue to make similarly good decisions.

Last year, Ken Coard enjoyed teachingBrendan Cronin ’11 in Math 1because he “always actively participat-ed in classroom discussion and was apositive presence in the classroom.” Atthe same time, however, Brendanseemed content to just “get by” withaverage grades, and if Mr. Coard wasoccupied when his student arrived foran extra help session, Brendan would

slip away. This year, he rejoined Mr. Coard for Math 2 and allthe trends continued, leaving him with a C at midterm. Thenhis attitude seemed to change, and his grades followed suit; inthe term’s second half, Brendan earned grades in the 90sbefore finishing the term with a B+ on the final exam. “It isbecause of his marked improvement in the second half of theterm that I recognize Brendan Cronin with the Mark H.Bagshaw Commendation, presented to honor math studentswho have displayed tremendous effort and have a genuineinterest in succeeding.”

For Brian Feigenbaum, there is nooverstating the importance to studentsand their teachers of risk-taking. “Indance, without this ‘risk-taking’ quali-ty, a student can’t come up with decentmaterial to make a piece of substance.Without risk-taking, the student will beunable to explore the many textures,nuances, and possibilities to developtheir work into a profound, exciting,

and compelling piece of dance theatre.” Combine risk-takingwith an open mind, which “allows the student to see the poten-tial of art as a powerful, expressive and necessary force in theworld,” and you have the qualities sophomore BrendanDonahue exhibited in Introduction to Dance from the first

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class meeting, according to Mr. Feigenbaum. “I daresay dance‘speaks’ to Brendan, and he was able to speak through it,” hesaid, praising a duet Brendan and a classmate performed at theend of the term.

When considering whom he mightcommend in his classes, Robert Footeof the history department immediatelythought of junior Sydney McGhie. Astudent from California who openlyconfessed her love of history to Mr.Foote at orientation, Sydney began theterm well enough. However, after theaccident that claimed the life of a stu-dent, her performance in history began

to “suffer considerably,” Mr. Foote said, noting that being farfrom home contributed to her difficulty. “But to her credit andwith the support of the people at LA, she buckled down andresponded with determination and hard work and finished theterm on a very high note, having raised her grade almost a fullgrade. I am proud to recognize Sydney with a history depart-ment commendation,” Mr. Foote announced.

Monica Suresh, according to Englishteacher Scott Smith, began the yearlike many of her peers, uncertain ofher teacher’s expectations or of herability to succeed. “However, from thatday on she took every opportunity shecould to ask questions when she hadthem and paid close attention duringclass,” Mr. Smith said. After notingthat Monica pushed herself to partici-

pate actively in both small-group work and class discussions,he made clear what he thinks the source of Monica’s confi-dence will continue to be: “I am consistently impressed by hermotivation and willingness not only to venture out intouncharted territory, but also to return having made additionsand revisions to her own map.”

Fall Commendations, continued from page 3

Inside Out—From inside or out, the fall’s foliage provides asubject worthy of quiet contemplation.

Fall 2008 5

Fall Sports Summary

Every team has at least one or two players with an energythat epitomizes the give-it-110% rule, and coaches will

frequently look wistfully at such players and wish for more ofthem. To have players with that energy and athletictalent…well, that’s the beginning of a winning team. Add acompetitive hunger, and watch out! You could go all the way.One team this fall did, and another very nearly did. What fol-lows is a recap of the fall season.

Field hockey coach Eileen Keever began the season with eightreturning starters and “two huge additions to the line-up inAshley Motherwell and transfer Kerrin Sperry,” not to men-tion a team of players who arrived in shape for preseason. Shecredits the players, led by co-captains Kat Spring and BrennaMorrissey, with cultivating a chemistry with team-buildingactivities off the field that helped capitalize on the individualtalents of each player. While on the field, the girls were deter-mined to make fewer mistakes as the season unfolded. “Weworked hard on learning the game—rules, tactics, and skillswere emphasized on a daily basis,” Coach Keever said.

By the end of the regular season, the work, determination, andconcentration paid off for players who had proved fit and for-tunate enough to avoid injuries that have weakened teams inprevious years. When their last ISL opponent, St. Paul’s,

The Best!—The 2008 Lawrence Academy girls’ field hockey team scored a 1–0 victory over Middlesex in the NEPSAC Class B cham-pionships on November 16, clinching the title at the close of an undefeated 19–0–1 season. The team is all smiles as they display thewell-deserved trophy. Front row, l-r, Emily Bovenzi ’12, Teresa Russell ’12, Hilary Cranston ’09, Danielle Doherty ’10, AshleyMotherwell ’09, Brenna Morrissey ’09, Kelly Horan ’09, Nicole Bartlett ’09, and Mary Kate Waldie ’12. Back row, l-r, Kat Spring ’09,Fran McNierney ’10, Natalie Azarela ’11, Megan O’Connor ’12, Brooke Simpson ’11, Emily Field ’11, Head Coach Eileen Keever,Kerrin Sperry ’10, Assistant Coach Michelle Waldie, Katie Joumas ’09, Chelsie Knapp ’09, Jordan Lovejoy ’10, Manager JamarcusShelton ’12, and Melissa Puleo ’09.

offered no more resistance than any other, surrendering 3–0,the girls became the undisputed league champions at 16-0-1,with their lone tie against Middlesex School. They had endedthe season with five consecutive shutouts.

Into their postseason games against three perennially strongteams, the girls brought their relentless pursuit of the ball—andthe back of their opponents’ goal. They defeated ThayerAcademy 4–1 in the quarterfinals and buried the BerkshireSchool Bears in the semis, 8–2. In the finals, the team rarelyrelinquished control of the ball. “The girls showed the sametenacity, athleticism, and discipline that brought them successall year,” said Ms. Keever, “and they beat the Middlesex squad 1–0 on their own turf to win the NEPSAC Class Bchampionship.”

Along the way, the Spartans recorded 12 shutouts whileoutscoring their opponents 77–9. As the team’s defense keptcompetitors to an average of only 3 shots on goal per game, nofewer than 11 players found the back of the opponent’s net.The leading scorers were Kelly Horan ’09 (20g, 5a) EmilyField ’11 (17g, 2a), Brenna Morrissey (14g, 4a) and teamMVP Kat Spring (6g, 13a).

Seniors Hilary Cranston, Brenna Morrissey, and Kat Springwere voted All-ISL, and joining them in the postseason awardswith All-ISL honorable mention were seniors Nicole Bartlett,

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Neck and neck with the field hockey team was an excitingfootball squad (7–1) led by senior co-captains Darryl Cato-Bishop, Logan Gillis, Charley Loeb, and Ollie Taylor.Entering the final game of the season as an undefeated squadfacing off against another undefeated team with an explosiveoffense, the Spartans, coached by LA parent Mike Taylor, had

routinely overpowered their oppo-nents, scoring an average of 33.6points per game for a season total of269. The attack-style LA defenseadded to the misery of opponents byallowing only an average of 8.4points per game for a total of 67.

Practices began in earnest with a 4-day camp in August led by formerGiants and Super Bowl XXI cham-pions Perry Miller and CurtisMcGriff and former NFL quarter-back Todd Krueger. In the openingtwo games, the team recorded ashutout against Thayer Academy,27–0, and the following weekscored an astounding 40 pointsbefore pulling the starters and giving up a touchdown, defeatingGroton School 40–6. Later thatweekend, news spread of an auto-mobile accident that claimed the lifeof rookie sophomore MarkFrattaroli and severely injuredreturning junior Zach Phillips. As itrecovered its balance in the follow-ing weeks, the football team—andthe entire school—suddenly appreci-ated the true power of community.When the players returned to thegridiron, following the cancellationof the game with BB&N, a newunderstanding of their own brother-hood and resolve to honor two“brothers” resulted in a 51–3 drubbing of Rivers School.

Beginning with the home gameagainst Brooks School (32–7), theboys played with a #44 painted onMurbach Field in honor of MarkFrattaroli. In LA’s closest games,they defeated Roxbury Latin(31–14) and Governor’s (35–14).The final game of the regular seasongave them a 46–3 victory over St.Paul’s School at home.

On November 14, the 7–0 teamtraveled to Russell Field inCambridge to face an even moreprolific offense developed by theKnights of BB&N, and the Spartans

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Fall Term All-ISL

Danielle Doherty, Kelly Horan, and Ashley Motherwell, aswell as sophomore Emily Field. Seniors Hilary Cranston,Kelly Horan, Ashley Motherwell, and Kat Spring were namedto the All-Tournament team. Katie Joumas ’09 earned theCoaches’ Award.

Darryl Cato-Bishop ’09First Team All-New England

Hilary Crantson ’09All-Tournament Team

Logan Gillis ’09

Dan Giovacchini ’11MVP—Defense

Marcus Grant ’11 Charley Loeb ’09MVP—Offense

First Team All-New England

Scooter Manly ’09MVP

Brenna Morrissey ’09 Tyler Orfao ’09

Sarah Riggert ’09MVP

Kat Spring ’09MVP

All-Tournament Team

Ollie Taylor’09MVP

First Team All-New England

Fall Sports, continued from page 5

fought hard and proudly in a game fraught with miscues onboth sides, eventually losing, 20–13. Coach Taylor faced a dis-appointed team by calling on them to lift their heads: “Youhave absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.” Soon after, All-ISLhonors were awarded to seven players, seniors Darryl Cato-Bishop, Logan Gillis, Charley Loeb, Tyler Orfao, and OllieTaylor, and sophomores Dan Giovacchini and Marcus Grant.Junior DenzelBrito and sopho-mores TylerCardoze, MaxRicci, and PeterTaylor earned honorable mention.

Three players—Ollie, Charley, andDarryl—won thehonor of beingselected First TeamAll New England.Ollie was namedLA’s team MVP,while Charleyearned MVP forthe offense andDan Giovacchinifor the defense.Logan Gillisreceived the John Madden Award. The captains and coachesselected the following players to serve as the captains of nextyear’s squad: Denzel Brito, Dan Giovacchini, Marcus Grant,and John Kelley ’10.

As with the two most successful teams of the fall season, theboys’ soccer team (4–9–4) benefitted from several playersworking hard during the off-season and from a 5-day camp onCape Cod. Captained by seniors Marc Dellacanonica, TylerDavis, and Scooter Manly, the team acquitted itself well bywinning pre-season scrimmages, most notably a 5–1 victoryover Cushing Academy. By the end of the pre-seasonHolderness Jamboree, the team had prevailed in two moregames and tied the third against host Holderness School.

The season began well enough, with LA’s first goal scored byfreshman Matt Baldino in what became a 3–0 win overProctor Academy. After four 1-goal losses, the team tied 2007league champions Buckingham Browne and Nichols, 1–1.

“This was a huge turning point for us despite the fact it was nota win,” said coach Jeff Good. “Tying on the road against lastyear’s league champion gave us a mental boost. We followedthat tie with another magnificent game against a St. George’ssquad that had been lighting up the league. We battled them toa 0–0 tie at home.” They tied Cushing, 1–1, and were over-powered, 4–0, by the league-leading team from Rivers.Following another close loss to St. Sebastian’s, the Spartanspleased fans with a 3–1 win over Brooks. After three morelosses, the team won its first back-to-back wins in several sea-sons against Governor’s (1–0) and Milton Academy (2–1).

Fall 2008 7

The season’s final game epitomized the season for CoachGood. “After giving up a goal in the first half, we did what wehad done all season and battled back, scoring two goals onpenalty kicks in the second half and taking the lead, whichheld until St. Paul’s scored on a penalty kick to tie. This excit-ing match, a battle right to the final whistle, typified the kindof season we had: lots of joy and disappointment, but exciting

and unpredictable.”Named to the All-ISL team was teamMVP ScooterManly, with TylerDavis earning hon-orable mention,Marc Dellacanonicaand StevenZaloudek ’09sharing thePickering Prize,and MIP honorsgoing to seniorNick Caesar.

“This has been oneof the strongestand closest seniorclasses to comethrough the soccerprogram in quite

some time,” said Mr. Good. “I have not seen a tighter group ofguys since the 2001 squad, which was captained by this year’sassistant coach Matt Green ’01.”

Led by senior tri-captains and multi-year starters LiaPalmacci, Ellie Moore, and Sarah Riggert, the girls’ soccerteam (7–9–0) started the season with a bang, reeling off threewins against Cushing Academy (4–1), Thayer Academy (2–1),and Newton Country Day (5–0). Buoyed by their scoringspree, the team entered what Coach Charles Franklin expectedto be “a tough stretch in the schedule” and “could not breakthrough against the top teams in the league.” By the end of a5-game drought, the team regrouped to win three of the lastfive games, prevailing against St. George’s, St. Mark’s, andMilton Academy and completing the season at 7–9. The team’sbest performance of the season came in their 1–0 victory overMilton Academy (8–5–2) at home, where the girls defeated astrong and talented Class A opponent.

Lia Palmacci, once an All-ISL player and twice earning honor-able mention, provided the main attacking threat throughoutthe season and was responsible—directly or indirectly—formost of Lawrence’s goals this year, making clear that she wasone of the most dangerous attacking players in the league. Her2-goal, 2-assist performance against St. Mark’s and her game-winning goal against Thayer Academy, the team that knockedthe Spartans out of the playoffs last season, were highlights forthe team offensively. Ellie Moore, a right back, provided asolid presence in the defense and showed a very good ability

The Mark Frattaroli Football Awardwas established in 2008 in memoryof Mark, who became a friend tomany during his short time at LA.The award recognizes that newmember of the football team who, asMark did, exhibits the can-do spirit,quiet determination, and commit-ment to the highest standards andsportsmanship. Peter Taylor ’11 wasthe award’s first recipient.

Mark Frattaroli ’11

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risks by experimenting with their pace and form during races,and most made significant improvements over the course ofthe season.” Captains Frances Hamilton ’10 and AnnaJacques ’09 led the other girls with the example of their abun-dant competitive spirit and positive attitudes, Frances earningthe Coaches’ Award and Anna the Thomas B. Warner Award.

After the first two meets were held at home, the team had threeweeks before running on their home course again, allowing

to read the game and break up an opposition’s attack. Theteam’s four shutouts this season were due in large part to herdefensive awareness and strength. Team MVP Sarah Riggert, atwo-time All-ISL and All-State selection, was the backbone ofthe defense and a commanding presence around the ball. Sheadded five goals over the course of the season, many off of setpieces because she was very dangerous in the air.

Seniors Sherri Bergstrom-Brooks,Jess Lunt, Shannon Muscatello,and Sarah Roop, contributed great-ly to the offensive effort by scoringimportant goals. Sarah Roop’s twogoals against St. Mark’s were ahighlight, along with SherriBergstrom-Brooks’ goal against atalented Brooks team, ShannonMuscatello’s goal against DanaHall, and Jess Lunt’s goal againstNewton Country Day School.Seniors Michelle Ng and NellLapres helped anchor the midfieldand showed considerable improve-ment this year. Both contributedoffensively, but were most valuabledefensively as they worked hardevery time out on the field. Finally,senior Bradie Hutchinson startedthe season as a midfielder, scored acouple of big goals early in the sea-son, and then selflessly agreed tomake the switch to goalkeeper dur-ing the middle part of the season.She showed much promise andcourage before an injury kept herout of several games until sherejoined her classmates in the finalgame. This year’s Saltonstall Awardwent to Jess Lunt, and the Coaches’Award to Kelsey Carroll ’11.

“With back-to-back seasons ofseven wins,” said Coach Franklin,“the seniors on the team havehelped to put Lawrence Academygirls’ soccer back in contention forplayoff appearances, while demon-strating that LA can beat some ofthe best teams in the league.”

The girls’ cross country team strug-gled to win meets as injuries andsickness often removed runnersfrom the team’s race-day line-up.Nevertheless, according to CoachMichael Veit, the girls “practicedwith determination and ran withpassion and courage. They took

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Fall Term ISL

HonorableMention

Nicole Bartlett ’09 Denzel Brito ’10

Tyler Cardoze ’11 Tyler Davis ’09 Danielle Doherty ’10

Emily Field ’11 Kelly Horan ’09All-Tournament Team

Ashley Motherwell ’09All-Tournament Team

Lia Palmacci ’09 Max Ricci ’11 Peter Taylor’11Frattaroli Award

Fall Sports, continued from page 7

Play On!—On November 12, a day designated for student-athletes nationwide to sign letters of intent to play Division Isports, four Lawrence Academy seniors formally accepted offers. Logan Gillis, who will play baseball for the NortheasternUniversity Huskies, has been the Spartan’s shortstop since he stepped onto the LA field as a freshman and will finish hiscareer with school records in at bats, hits, and runs scored. Three girls were all singled out for their skills on the hockeyrink. Kelly Horan heads off to play as a UConn Husky, recognized for her speed and agility and having earned 13 goalsand 23 assists during her 2007–08 season. Chelsea Knapp, a future Ohio State Buckeye, tends goal for LA, earning 13shutouts last year and setting an example with her work ethic and determination. Ashley Motherwell will skate for theBoston College Eagles, having recorded 15 goals and 20 assists during the 2007–08 season while providing a formidablepresence on defense. All three girls were also members of this year’s undefeated NEPSAC championship field hockey team.

Fall 2008 9

In a race at Rivers School against Rivers, Thayer Academy,and St. Sebastian’s School, the team arrived too late to walkthe complete course, but nine of the ten boys who raced thatday ran their fastest race of the season by then. Five boys rantheir fastest times of the season when it counts the most, at theISL championships, on the very challenging St. George’scourse, and two others came within just a few seconds of running their fastest races.

Team MVP Ian McWilliams ’10, who was injured for muchof the 2007 season, was the first Lawrence Academy runner tocross the finish line in most of this year’s varsity races, fre-quently reaching his goal of finishing in under 20 minutes,regardless of the course’s difficulty. Even though he wasinjured for most of the season, junior captain John Plummerwas LA’s second finisher in several races early in the season.The Coaches’ Award went to a very promising freshman, PeterRyder, who made considerable progress during the season,breaking the 20-minute barrier twice. He finished second toIan in most races, and finished first for LA in three races,including the ISL championships. In addition to John andPeter, juniors Erik McKnight, Andy Savage, and JeffreyChen and freshman Charlie White should make up the coreof LA’s varsity team next season. Senior Albert Sun earnedthe Thomas B. Warner Award.

them a chance to set a goal or run a home-course personalrecord during Parents’ Weekend in mid-October. Nearly all ofthe six who ran that day set PRs, and the remaining runnercame very close. Another one of the team’s best races came atRivers School against Rivers, Thayer Academy, and St.Sebastian’s School. Despite arriving late and not havingenough time to walk the course, all six girls who raced thatday ran their fastest times of the season at that point. Althoughthe team did not defeat any ISL teams during the regular sea-son, the girls out-scored St. George’s at the ISL championshiprace at St. Mark’s, where they tied with Brooks School andlost to Rivers School by a mere eight points. “It’s a testamentto their tenacity that they were able to make such progress,”said Mr. Veit.

Junior MVP Emily Holmes was the first LA runner to crossthe finish line in every race. Comparing their results during the2007 and 2008 seasons, Anna Jacques, Frances Hamilton, andBecky Bostick ’11 made incredible progress, according to Mr.Veit. The team will lose only two of its runners to graduation,Sakurako Mori and Anna Jacques.

Many on the boys’ cross country team often reset their per-sonal best times as the 2008 season progressed, and, like thegirls, several of them—seven of the twelve who raced in thethird home meet on Parents’ Weekend—recorded their fastesttimes to date.

10 Powderhouse Gazette

Spirit to SpareJessica Lunt and Bernie Leed, Co-Presidents

The LawrenceAcademy student

body has a lot to beproud of as we reflect onthis fall. We conqueredexam week, we earned aNEPSAC title in field hockey, and we came together in a trulyimpressive and inspirational way. As two seniors who haveexperienced three previous fall terms at LA, we can confident-ly say we have never been more proud of this community. Theway in which the students have supported each other isremarkable. Faced with adversity, our community has demon-strated its strength by coming together through a difficult time.This theme of “support” is one we are sure we will continue tosee throughout the year.

With highly talented football and field hockey teams leadingthe way, this fall was a good time to be a Spartan! The successof the LA athletic teams inspired the new trend of red and bluebody paint ensembles, a colorful display that was everywhereat a rousing pep rally. The football team’s rendition of ArethaFranklin’s “Respect,” images of student’s faces submerged inwhipped cream pies, and the homemade T-shirt prizes aresome of the special memories pep rally participants share.

During the past term, the student community has demonstrateda “Why wait?” attitude in all areas of school life. Why wait tolet someone else clean up a mess at lunch? Why wait until nextterm to work towards honor or high honor roll? Why wait totry a new extracurricular? As a result, the student body nolonger has to be addressed about the mess that once was ourdining hall, the honor and high honor roles are impressive, andOctober’s club fair saw one of its most diverse offerings yet.

So, too, did the varsity football team have a highly successfulregular season. The team brought a 7–0 record into the post-season ISL and NEPSAC bowl game against BB&N (similarlyundefeated), which was played under the lights in Cambridgeon November 14. Four busloads of Lawrence Academy stu-dents traveled together to this highly touted showdown, andthe atmosphere of 200 screaming LA fans under the lights wasa sight to behold. While BB&N prevailed in the contest,Lawrence Academy served notice to all that excellence on thegridiron is standard fare for the Spartans. It was, by all meas-ures, a season and a game to remember!

Visiting classes reminded me that one of the most importantplaces where excellence plays itself out each and every day atLA is in our classrooms. During each visit, I was rewardedwith observing skilled and passionate teachers interacting withengaged and excited students. On one particular occasion, Iwitnessed Scott Johnson’s Honors Math 4 students collectivelyscrutinize and solve the NPR weekly puzzler, and that revealedto me much about the problem-solving skills our students arelearning. The class then entered the correct solution in theweekly National Public Radio drawing; if their solution wasselected, the class would receive a phone call from NPR laterthat week. Including me in the totality of the activity, the classsuggested that we would submit my inside office phone num-ber as the contact number, and we gathered that Thursday inmy office for a remote chance to get the call. While the callnever came, we spent an enjoyable 45 minutes tossing puzzlersat each other and solving them in honor of the occasion. I mustsay, the excitement and investment of the students in the wholeprocess from start to finish affirmed for me again what is sospecial and powerful about our academic program.

Other venues where excellence and achievement played out oncampus this fall included a spectacular series of dance concertsin the Black Box Theatre, a powerful instrumental music con-cert, a breathtaking student art exhibition, and a fabulous vocalmusic concert, all of which occurred the week of November10. Add to that a finely rehearsed drama production in earlyNovember entitled The Visit, and you have a broad cadre ofLA students and faculty doing impressive work in the pursuitof excellence in the arts.

As we geared up for the beginning of the winter term, whenstudents would return from break in December, I was mindfulthat many of us are worried about the sad state of the economythat is being discussed with great urgency in the news media.Sensing last spring that the economy was going to presentchallenges going into this and the next few years, members ofmy administrative team and members of the Board of Trusteesmet regularly throughout the summer and fall to developstrategies for dealing with any number of possible financialscenarios. While Lawrence Academy has not been immune tothe downturns on Wall Street, we are constantly monitoring thesituation and are developing contingency plans and modelsthat will best position the school to meet the financial chal-lenges that lie ahead. Significantly, at this writing gifts to theAnnual Fund are running ahead of last year at this time, and

Headlines, continued from page 1 interest in the school by prospective families continues to runstrong. Indeed, attendance at our November open house was42% ahead of what it was last year! We take these as verygood signs.

Lawrence Academy has come through some very challengingtimes in this 2008–2009 academic year. We have concomitantlyembraced achievement and excellence in a multitude of venuesand will continue to pursue these objectives as we coursethrough the rest of the year. As head of school, I am tremen-dously proud that we have grieved and celebrated together andthat we have supported each other as a community during thisfirst term of the year. LA is all the stronger and better for thiscollective accomplishment!

Best wishes to you all for a wonderful New Year!

Fall 2008 11

This attitude is also apparent in the Faculty-Student Senate, themain governing body of our school. The FSS has been movingahead at a rapid pace, creating, revising, and voting on newproposals while holding thoughtful discussions. Members havepassed a new proposal creating a point-based Friday NightConsequence demerit system. The FSS was able to discuss andeffectively rework the proposal into a finished product by theconclusion of the fall term. Passed by the FSS, the proposalwas sent to Mr. Wiggins for consideration. The group will nowmove ahead with a new proposal for a Judiciary Committeethat would give students accused of violating school rules achance to present their case in front of the committee, in per-son and with requested support from an advisor and whoeverelse they feel necessary. Further discussion of this proposalwill continue in the FSS during the winter term.

Controversial dancing was a hot topic this term. A final deci-sion on the future of dancing at LA was determined by a col-lection of students and faculty, demonstrating that student-faculty relationships extend beyond the classroom and therealm of academics at LA. As two of the students who workedon resolving this issue, we are excited to have been involved inmaking a decision that, in many schools, would be made solelyby administrators. LA’s belief in a “student-centered” learningenvironment allows students to get involved in making deci-sions that will directly affect their school community. In caseyou are wondering, it was agreed that dancing will remainalive and well at Lawrence Academy, and the minor recom-mended changes that came from the discussions were success-fully incorporated at the last dance.

A new project that the two of us will continue to work on inthe winter term is the re-establishment of a student curriculumcommittee. The committee of students will suggest changesthey’d like to see in academics at LA. It will be similar to agroup that existed prior to our attending LA, and the idea hasreceived positive responses from students as well as faculty. Itwill provide another opportunity for students to influence deci-sions about their own education.

As student leaders, we communicate frequently with the direc-tors of residential life and Mr. Horne, and as needed with Mr.Wiggins, Mr. Franklin, and the members of the DevelopmentOffice. With their support and guidance behind the studentcommunity, many of our successes as a school community canbe attributed to the efforts that students themselves have madethis fall. These successes don’t come with a feeling of “let’sjust do this and get it over with”; they come with the feeling“let’s do this and do this right.” As the winter term begins, weare optimistic that this feeling will continue to keep our cam-pus a home to a community of productive individuals workingtoward common goals.

Happy New Year!

Halloween 2008

The VisitRichardson-MeesPerforming Arts CenterNovember 6–8, 2008

12 Powderhouse Gazette

Fall 2008 13

Guest in GhanaAndrew J. Brescia, director of communications

Across the street from where President Obama now liveswith his family, you can’t miss the seven-acre Lafayette

Square with its five imposing statues. You’ll find somethingvery different across from the president’s residence in Ghana,according to Rob Olsen, associate director of admissions.There, in the capital city of Accra, he recently found “a mar-ketplace of people who have nothing and who are selling whatthey can to have enough to buy dinner.” There, you will findliving monuments to hard work.

Rob was in Accra at the invitation of Ghanian diplomatJennifer Lartey, who had been impressed during a 2007 visit toLawrence Academy and who consequently founded Quest, aconsulting firm to help families in Ghana gain access to suchschools. She had arranged for LA’s director of internationalrecruitment to conduct interviews with 10 prospective students,and they left a very favorable impression on him. “All of thestudents were polite, respectful, confident, and—from all Ilearned—hard working,” he said, adding that students in Ghanamay study as many as 8–10 subjects at a time but in classesthat meet less frequently than those of American students.

Some of the students he interviewed attend parochial schoolsand study Ghanaian, English, and French. “They speak perfectEnglish,” he added, explaining that they are taught a BritishEnglish. (Ghana achieved independence from Great Britain in1957.) “Their main focus is on getting a good education,” Robsaid. Not surprising, given the time of his visit, the Ghanaianstudents spoke of President-elect Barack Obama as a model ofwhat can be done with a good education.

With as many as 40 students in a math class, the allure of aprivate school classroom is understandably strong. “Each ofthe students I interviewed would welcome the opportunity toattend schools in the United States,” Rob said. In fact, whenone man he met outside the Regency Hotel learned why Robwas in Accra, he returned the very next morning with his sonfor an interview.

Rob described Ghanaians in general as “welcoming andrespectful.” During his brief time there, he ventured out forwalks to explore the outskirts of Accra. Side by side withimages of modernity he found a hard-working people withmuch more optimism than means to support themselves. “Isaw a mother of three frying bananas on an open grill for din-ner, and I befriended Tony, a necklace maker who hopes eachday to sell two necklaces so he can earn enough for a plate ofrice he can share with his brother. Once, I saw six familiesstuffed into a bus with all their belongings—including twogoats—strapped to it.”

Moved by his newfound insight into the country and its peo-ple, Rob said, “Visiting Ghana was a very humbling experi-ence in terms of being thankful for what we have over here. Ican not say enough about the people I met there.”

StudentArt ofthe FallTerm

Julie Consoletti ’09

Jen Samel ’09

Samantha Carr ’09

Andrew Richardson ’11

Jon Brooks ’09

Teresa Romero ’10

Dylan Callahan ’10

Andrew Craig ’09

14 Powderhouse Gazette

Juniors and seniors in John Curran’s U.S. History classesparticipated in what has become an annual event at

Lawrence Academy, a mock Constitutional Convention of1787. Students applied their knowledge of the AmericanRevolution and the period of the Articles of Confederation asthey researched the individual delegates whom they were rep-resenting. With only one day to create a U.S. Constitution,which was actually nearly four months in the making, the LAdelegates discussed and voted on the structure of the legisla-ture, executive, and judiciary in addition to debating the rightto regulate slavery and the powers to tax and to declare war.

Pictured to the left (clockwise from top left) are four of thestudent delegates. Fran McNierney ’10 recreated the wealthy“Gouverneur” Morris of Pennsylvania. Morris, she said,argued “ for religious tolerance and the abolishment of slavery,and who strongly believed that only those who own propertyshould be allowed to vote.” Aaron Heller ’10 was longtimeNew Hampshire state legislator John Langdon, who opted tosign the Constitution. Sara Davey ’10 represented anti-federal-ist John Frances Mercer of Maryland. According to Sara, Mr.Mercer “believed in power within the states, and thought itwas impossible to represent the interests of all parts of thecountry in one central government. He refused to sign theConstitution.” TJ Hartner ’10 depicted George Mason ofVirginia. He describes Mr. Mason as “a wealthy plantationowner who did not believe in slavery, but did not sign theConstitution because he was afraid it was providing too stronga central government and there was no Bill of Rights.”Angelica Bishop ’10 (in page 2 collage) was Virginia’s JamesMcClurg, who she said “favored a strong central government,almost supporting a monarchy because he felt the average per-son couldn’t be trusted with the responsibility and pressure ofrunning a government.”

For many years now, against the backdrop of the area’s daz-zling fall foliage, Ninth Grade Program teachers have led

their students in an investigation of Groton’s early history bytaking them to the Old Burying Ground, where students col-lect, analyze, and interpret information from the gravestones.This year, instead of walking directly to the graveyard, theteachers guided their students slowly through the Town ofGroton on a sunny Wednesday, pausing before one noteworthybuilding after another to allow students to read aloud back-ground information on each building. Once gathered in thegraveyard, students fanned out to collect data on Groton’s earlyresidents by carefully decoding the language and symbols usedon the stones. Many of Groton’s first settlers and their descen-dants are buried in the Old Burying Ground, with the oldeststone dating back to 1704 and others marking losses during theRevolutionary War, the Civil War, and the War of 1812.

After this year’s outing, students joined longtime faculty mem-ber Dick Jeffers, school archivist and Groton’s 350th anniver-sary keynote speaker, for some entertaining tales and insightsinto the town, its early inhabitants, buildings, and businesses.Once immersed in the primary data from the graveyard, stu-dents were provided facsimiles of the last will and testament(1688) of Mathias Farnsworth, pages from the 1775 journal ofhis grandson Amos Farnsworth (who mentions fighting atBunker Hill), three or four reports from the meetings in the1690s and 1700s of the town’s selectmen, and a Boston news-paper from the 1740s. At term’s end, students were called uponto demonstrate what they could reasonably understand from asmall sample of primary sources about the people of the Townof Groton who lived in a bygone era. Pictured (right) are AlexDellacanonica, speaking at an historic site, and Teresa Russell,Brett McQuaide, and Will Messa at work recording informa-tion from the gravestones.

Hands-On HistoryReported by Bev Rodrigues from Bulletin Board items

Fall 2008 15

The work of 12 students in Election 2008, an elective taughtby Kevin Wiercinski, drew an amazing 80% of “eligible

voters” at LawrenceAcademy to the polls of a simulated generalelection in November. Students in the Ninth Grade Program,who examined the campaigns with a special focus on theissues of oil, taxes, and immigration, also learned about taxesafter being assigned a “job” and studying how their incomewould be affected by the policies proposed by each candidate.

Democrat Barack Obama won the campus election with 61%of the popular vote, with Republican John McCain trailing at35%, Libertarian Bob Barr capturing 2%, and CynthiaMcKinney of the Green Party alsoreceiving 2% of the vote. In votingon Massachusetts ballot questions,the proposed ban of a state incometax lost by a slim margin, 174 to185; marijuana in amounts less thanone ounce was decriminalized by awide margin, 274 to 94; and thestate’s two greyhound racing trackswill be closed effective in 2010 bya 260-to-101 vote to make dog rac-ing illegal. The mock results mir-rored those across the state. AnOctober presentation by Peter Flynn ’03 (above), financedirector of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee,had provided students some insight into the 16-hour workdaysdevoted to the complex business of supporting a campaign.

FBI Agent Speaks on Organized Crime

An article posted on the FBI’s Web site reports that twoCPA-educated agents “engineered the plan” that led to the

arrest of Mafia crime boss “Big Joey” Massino in 2003. Oneof them, Supervisory Special Agent Jeffrey Sallet (below),spoke about the investigation and his work as an FBI agent tostudents in Neil Somers’ history class and Eileen Keever’selective on organized crime. As he revealed the painstakingprocess used tobuild a caseagainst thecrime boss, hewelcomedbeing inter-rupted byquestions andwas clearlypleased withhis involvedaudience, mak-ing use of will-ing partici-pants to illus-trate his pointswith role-play-ing. He sought to erase any sympathy that movie-viewing stu-dents might have for members of organized crime: “Theseguys kill people, they hurt people, and they steal from people—and what they earn is not going to the United Way.” He alsodispelled the popular image of the FBI swaggering into aninvestigation to take it over, noting that with only 12,000 FBIagents nationwide, it is imperative that they work well withlocal law enforcement. Agent Sallet expressed the need for thepublic to receive accurate information about the FBI, explain-ing that that is why he finds the time in his busy schedule tomake personal visits and presentations. Said faculty memberNeil Somers, formerly of the U.S. Secret Service, “It is incred-ibly valuable for the students not only to learn about history,but to see it with their own eyes. Mr. Sallet brought to lifetoday an incredibly interesting story, in which he was directlyinvolved, and which we could read about in a variety of publi-cations. He made history a tangible thing.”

Club Fair 2008—Sometimes the ideas presented at the Club Fair each fall take off and become a part of the fabric of the student communityyear after year, and sometimes they make a splash and fade away as studies, sports, or other interests take precedence. Always, the fair is anopportunity for students to show their passion for specific causes and activities and to encourage others to join in pursuing them. Pictured (l-r)are Caitie Morrisson ’10 and Danielle Pedra ’10, Nick Slaney ’09 and James Karol ’09, and Micah Ehiorobo ’09 and Marina Bousa ’09.

16 Powderhouse Gazette

Conant Gallery Offerings—On display this fall were thesculptures of figurative artist Deborah Baldizar (above) andthe works of faculty artists (below), l-r, Laurie McGowan (photograph at bottom), Zach Dawson (painting in back-ground), and Dina Mordeno (painting of figure below).

Founders’ Day

The school community gathered for the annual Founders’Day assembly on Thursday, October 24, 2008, in the

Richardson-Mees Performing Arts Center. In his introductoryremarks, Head of School Scott Wiggins focused on what itfeels like to be served by others.

Mr. Wiggins defined service as “an act that betters the lives ofothers” and noted that people serve others for a variety of rea-sons. “Where are you in your thinking about how importantservice is in your life, service to others?” he asked. He thenenumerated some of the ways in which the community wassupported during the weeks following a car accident thatclaimed the life of Winchester sophomore Mark Frattaroliand resulted in serious injuries to Stow junior Zach Phillips.The ultimate act of service, he said, came from the Frattarolifamily, which, in the midst of their grief, established a scholar-ship fund at Lawrence Academy in their son’s honor. “Service toothers,” Mr. Wiggins concluded, “is a common thread that con-nects all of the special presentations that will take place today.”

Shannon Muscatello ’09 then saluted Frances Hamilton ’10,the Greater Good Award winner. Shannon explained thatFrances logged over 100 hours of community service duringher first two years at LA—butthat’s not counting whatShannon called the limelight-shyjunior’s “larger projects” at LAor what she has undertaken thisyear. “She dedicates herself tothe whole service project, notjust the fun parts,” Shannon saidof Frances, who has helped tofeed the hungry, provideChristmas toys for disadvan-taged children, and raise supportfor African orphans by startingthe club A Precious Cause. Afinalist in last year’s speechcompetition, Frances used thebully pulpit to raise awareness about world hunger. “She real-izes that even something small can make a difference in oth-ers’ lives, and she uses every chance she can to try and helpthe world,” Shannon said. “She’s always thinking about othersfirst.” Frances also has served in student government, theFaculty-Student Senate, and the Honor Council.

“The message of The Greater Good Award is that education isnot an end in itself,” Shannon said. “It’s not just about gettinginto college or even becoming lifelong learners; it’s about aperson’s doing something with his or her education to benefithumanity—to benefit the greater good. Because she demon-strates an understanding of her responsibility to use her educa-tion for the greater good of humanity, the Cum Laude Societyproudly presents the Greater Good Award to Frances Hamilton.”

Andrew Craig ’09 and Chelsea Gruttadauria ’10 paid trib-ute to Assistant Librarian Jean Hommel, this year’s recipient ofthe Kathy Peabody Book Prize.

Frances Hamilton ’10

Fall 2008 17

“When I first met Jean, I was absolutely terrified,” Andrewconfessed. “It was the first M/X block of my junior year, and I

had just wandered into the brandnew library for the first time.”He described what he heard thatunforgettable morning (a loud,threatening voice) and what hesaw (Jean “storming out of heroffice”). “I have never been soafraid of anyone wearing a redsweater,” he said, amusing theaudience, and he decided tomove quickly out of sight intothe back of the library. M/Xblock, he explained, is not Ms.Hommel’s favorite period tooversee students in the library; in

time, Andrew said, he came to learn what other students under-stand: “It is Jean’s accessibility, sense of humor and eccentricspunk which help her make Lawrence Academy great.”

On hand to help present the award were former teacher GeorgePeabody and his son Mark ’85. The Kathy Peabody Book Prize,established by Kevin McDonald ’70, alumni council presi-dent, and the other 1966–67 residents of Pillsbury House, isgiven in memory of George’s wife, Kathy, to recognize amember of the non-teaching staff whose good nature brightensmany a day at Lawrence Academy.

The Founders’ Day Award, the school’s most prestigious awardfor service to the school, was presented by Bruce MacNeil ’70to longtime faculty member Dick Jeffers and his wife, Beverly.

Mr. MacNeil wasted no time in saluting Dick and Bev by say-ing, “Frankly, many of us alums look back on the relationshipsthat we made with people like Dick Jeffers and others, and wecan say that our growth and our success are directly related tothe support that they provided us during our time at LawrenceAcademy.” Citing examples of faculty mentors from both hisfather Norman ’47’s experience in the 1940s and his sonStuart ’04’s more recent experience, Mr. MacNeil creditedDick Jeffers with having guided him to greater maturity, self-confidence, and understanding of his own strengths and weak-nesses.

After recalling a lesson from Mr. Jeffers on the importance ofworking hard to improve himself as a hockey player, Mr.MacNeil mentioned the numerous ways in which the schoolhad changed for the better under Head of School Ben Williamsand his late wife, Nan. He was quick to add, however, thatbehind a head of school are faculty members and their spouseswho make those changes work one student at a time, and henamed Dick and Bev Jeffers as two such “cornerstones” ofthose important and lasting renovations of Lawrence Academyover their 47 years of service.

After Mr. Jeffers accepted the award, SLACS sang “On an ElmTree-Shaded Hillside.” Award recipients and their familieswere invited to a special luncheon in MacNeil Lounge follow-ing the assembly.

Jean Hommel

Dick Jeffers and Bruce MacNeil ’70

Never Have We Ever…

On October 18, 2008, students and faculty gatheredin MacNeil Lounge for the year’s second Cultural

Coffeehouse Series event, a discussion led by peercounselors on self-esteem and peer pressure. In addi-tion to remarks by Jayne Mattson, who works withadults and teens on self-esteem issues, participantsresponded with paddles to 15 yes-no prompts aboutself-esteem, including “High self-esteem means beingconceited or having a ‘big head.’” During the courseof an evening made lively by skits created and enactedby peer counselors to draw attention to different kindsof peer pressure, students also took a quiz to determinethe degree to which they are self-accepting. For small-group ice breakers, the peer counselors handed eachparticipant a card from a teen version of The Ungame,which poses questions like “How do you react whensomeone disagrees with you?” In September, the CCSevent drew students and faculty together to talk aboutsex and relationships; participants in the Decemberevent explored the topics of immigration, gay rights,private choices/public consequences, and abortion. InJanuary, students with learning disabilities will helpparticipants better understand what it is like livingwith a learning disability. Pictured above, performingin one of the skits, are (l–r) seniors Sam Feigenbaumand Qaasim Ahmed pressuring classmate KatieJoumas to try something “cool.”

Development DeskRobinson Moore, Assistant Head of School, External Affairs

The 2008–09 Annual Fund is in full swing with an ambi-tious goal of $1,100,000! We are delighted that Jo-Ann

and Monty Lovejoy (Jordan ’10, Spencer ’08, and George ’04)are chairing the Parents Fund this year, with the enthusiasticsupport of junior class chairs,Kirsta and Chris Davey (Sara ’10),sophomore class chairs, Diana and Bobby Moore (Jack ’11),and freshman class chairs, Nicole and Kevin Kelly (Barrett ’12).They and their hard-working committees have been callingparents over the last two months for their support in thisimportant fund year. As of January 15, the Fund has receivedjust over $642,900 in gifts and pledges—an increase of 25%over a year ago. Of that total, 32% of parents have given$358,800. On behalf of everyone at LA, our thanks to all foryour support during these challenging economic times. Onething appears certain: An LA education will never lose itsvalue and will benefit our students for a lifetime.

The Senior Parent Capital Gift Drive is off to a fantastic start!A dedicated committee, led by Nancy and Chris Stone andLamia and Mike Taylor, began their work in October and haveconvened their committee several times in hopes of raising$325,000 from 100% of the senior parents. Grandparents havebeen asked to join the effort as the committee calls on the par-ents of members of the Class of 2009 to fund the followinggifts to the school:

Special thanks go to the committee members who have put somuch time and effort into this wonderful initiative and to allthe parents and grandparents who have contributed.

2009 Senior Parent Capital Gift Committee: Christopher andNancy Stone, co-chairs (Cameron ’09, Graylan ’09, Tory ’09),Michael and Lamia Taylor, co-chairs (Rudy ’07, Ollie ’09,Peter ’11), Hassan and Aliya Ahmed (Qaasim ’09), Edwardand Maureen Bousa (Marina ’09), Martyn and Karen Brown(Dominic ’07, Alexander ’09), Tom Craig (Andrew ’09), Scottand Linda Cranston (Hilary ’09), Barbara Goldman (Sam ’09),Ray and Martha Joumas (Katie ’09, Will ’10), Tom andJennifer Karol (Jim ’09), Steven and Elizabeth Leed (Bernie ’09,Caroline ’10), Jeff and Sue Lunt (Jessica ’09), David andKaren Riggert (Sarah ’09), Kathy and Matt Rose (CharleyLoeb ’09), Stephen and Kathy Simpson (John ’07, Wayne ’09,Brooke ’11).

18 Powderhouse Gazette

2009 Senior Parent Gift Drive Allocations

Annual Fund: $110,000Improvements to Student Lounge: $100,000New Chemistry Lab: $80,000Faculty Housing: $35,000

Total $325,000

Board of Visitors

Each fall, Lawrence Academy invites members of its Boardof Visitors to hear about activities and innovations at the

school. Guests include educators, local government officials,local business people, and others who may be interested in thechallenges, successes, and philosophy of the school as it servesto educate.

The chair of this year’s event on November 7, 2008, was JohnLord ’80 who, although he lives in Hong Kong, travels thelong distance to attend each year’s presentations. A three-yearboarder from Wellesley, MA, John now attributes much of hissuccess to the valuable lessons he learned at LA.

The participation of current students in panels allows visitorsto connect directly with those who are experiencing aLawrence Academy education, and provides an opportunity toquestion them about their perspectives.

Representing the school on the topic of student-centered learn-ing and the LA experience were panel leader Bernie Leed ’09and panelists Qaasim Ahmed ’09, Kelly Banker ’11, MarinaBousa ’09, Andrew Craig ’09, Tyler Davis ’09, KenieshaDelancy ’10, Micah Ehiorobo ’09, Chelsea Gruttadauria’10, Kyung-Min Lee ’09,Chandler Manly ’09, ShannonMuscatello ’09, Maggie Raemer ’10, and Ollie Taylor ’09.

Providing insight into the Ninth Grade Program and leadershipat LA were panel leader Jess Lunt ’09 and panelists SarkieAmpim ’10, Sydney Bagley ’12, Anna Banker ’11, EmilyGregoire ’12, Ben Lampert ’11, Sun Young Lee ’10,Charley Loeb ’09, Jordan Lovejoy ’10, Kate Majike ’09,Kyung Jay Minn ’11, Josh Patry ’09, Jamarcus Shelton ’12,Brooke Simpson ’11, Peter Taylor ’11, and Rosa Valentin ’09.

Inviting Inquiries—Two panels of LA students welcomedquestions from guests during November’s Board of Visitors.Pictured (top left, clockwise) are: Kate Majike ’09; BrookeSimpson ’11 and Jamarcus Shelton ’12; Anna Banker ’11; andMarina Bousa ’09 and Tyler Davis ’09.

students were able to explore togetherthe various Winterim course exhibits dis-played by enthusiastic teachers.

During exam week in November, theexecutive committee of the newlyformed Grandparents’ AdvisoryCommittee provided “goodies fromgrandparents” in the Student Lounge. Sixof our wonderful grandparents were onhand with cider, juice, donut holes, andcookies. Approximately 150 studentsdelighted in this treat and several weresurprised to see their grandparents oncampus. This organization is an adjunctof the Parents’ Association and is open toall grandparents and special friends. Thenext meeting will be held onGrandparents’ Day, April 29, 2009.

The big event for the PA this year is our Scholarship AuctionFundraiser, set for May 2, 2009. The committee is already offand running thanks to the exciting theme this year—DerbyNight! We are out of the starting gate and have an amazinggroup of over 70 parent volunteers who are eager to make thisa fun and exciting evening, as well as a successful fundraiserto benefit LA student scholarships. The committee’s first taskis the gathering of gifts and donations that will surely make for an exciting night of bidding through both live and silentauctions. If you would like to donate an auction-worthy gift, or would like to help out and join in the planning, please contact MJ Tierney (mtierney@lacademy.edu), or come to thenext auction meeting on February 12, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. inMacNeil Lounge. Above all, please mark May 2 on your calendar and plan to join us for Derby Night!

Our monthly Parents’Association meet-ings, held in theConant Gallery thisyear, are open to all.We hope, if you havenot done so already,that you will consid-er joining us. Thecomplete schedulecan be found at ourWeb site’s parentportal.

We welcome you tocontact either of us atanytime withthoughts or sugges-tions, and we hope tosee you soon.

Penny Majike, chair (Kate ’09), majike@comcast.netKathie Hartner, co-chair (T.J. ’10), tckah@aol.com

Noteworthy NewsParents’ Association Co-chairs,Penny Majike and Kathie Hartner

The Parents’ Association had a great start this school year!We had wonderful weather at the all-school picnic on

September 7, and many parents, both boarding and day, madeit into MacNeil Lounge for our kick-off meeting. All of ourParents’ Association sponsored events were highlighted, andwe had many parents who were willing to sign up to helpensure the success of the 2008–2009 school year.

Four athletic receptions held this fall were well attended by theLawrence Academy community, as well as by visiting athletesand their families. The PA had many volunteers who donatedor helped with cooking and serving to make sure the athleticcontests hosted at LA were enjoyed by all!

Our “Helping Hands” committee and many generous parentssupported the Frattaroli and Phillips families after the tragiccar accident in September. As the entire Lawrence Academycommunity mourns the death of Mark Frattaroli ’11, ourthoughts and prayers continue to be with his loved ones. AsZach Phillips ’10 continues to heal, we have received numer-ous phone calls and an overwhelming expression of concernand support from caring parents that would like to help bothfamilies. The community was delighted to have Zach appearon campus for the end-of season football banquet. This com-mittee also offered help to the Didriksen family, after the deathof MaryLou, and to the Beck family, after Noreen’s passing.We are grateful to the Lawrence Academy parents who contin-ue to extend a “helping hand” by way of this committee. Aheartfelt thank you goes to all who offered assistance!

In The Stone Athletic Center, on November 12, parents, stu-dents, faculty and staff enjoyed the many goodies that wereavailable at Winterim Night. These delectable tidbits were pro-vided by generous LA parents, many of whom also helped toserve that evening. It was a great evening, where parents and

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Asian Welcome—Rob Moore traveled to Korea and Hong Kong in December to meet withLA parents and alumni, while Scott Wiggins was in Taiwan for the same purpose. Rob metHong Kong parents for a wonderful 7-course Chinese dinner hosted by Raymond and AmyCheng, parents of Steven ’98 and Stanley ’09. Pictured l-r: Yuet Mei Li and Chi Hong Lee,mother and brother of Chi Ho Lee ’12; Rob Moore; Annie Guo and her parents Tom andKaren Guo, sister and parents of James Guo’10; and our hosts Amy and Raymond Cheng.LA currently has ten students from Korea, seven from Hong Kong, and five from Taiwan.

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDAYER, MA

PERMIT NO. 9