Glen Urquhart School

The Boar Cup – Another Rousing Success

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

One of the most anticipated events of the year, the annual “Boar Cup” once again generated tremendous excitement and enthusiastic class and school spirit among our upper school students.  Congratulations to the eighth graders who rallied during the third and fourth days of competition and brought home the victory.  Designed as a competition among the three grades, the Boar Cup includes physical and mental challenges that give everyone a chance to show off their skills.  Events include a variety of relay races (including a “thinking relay”), a baby bottle drinking contest, a teacher look-alike competition, a “rock-paper-scissors” contest, ping-pong and foul shooting competition, a “College Bowl” type quiz show, a mural competition, and a lip-sync contest.  All students participate in at least one or two events.  From the opening ceremony on Monday afternoon to the announcement of the winner at the conclusion of the “Boar Ball” on Thursday afternoon, the students demonstrate the GUS spirit by being enthusiastic competitors and good sports.  They are both gracious winners and losers.  Thanks to Bruce Emerson, who is the creator, producer, and director.  What a way to beat the winter blues and prepare for spring break!

Written by Raymond Nance

Latin with Arcie Petty

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

“How much is this shirt?”
“Quanta tunica est?”
“It is 5 dollars.”
“V denarii sunt.”

If you had been in Arcie Petty’s 8th grade Latin class on Roman Market Day you would have heard many such exchanges between students. Their assignment: to research five pieces of merchandise typical of an ancient Roman market and create and name a market stall. The outcome: an interactive opportunity to apply knowledge of short greetings, relevant vocabulary, and basic grammar while bargaining for items (priced in Roman numerals) or petitioning the banker for a loan to ward off bankruptcy.

The Roman Market Day is one example of Petty’s engaging, student-centered, project-based approach to Latin instruction in the middle school. Students in 6th grade carry out a mini market project, for which they make and sell togas, cloaks, and dresses. The 7th graders work in small groups to create a class comic book recounting stories from the Trojan War, and the 8th graders study Latin poetry. Concepts of grammar and syntax are woven into this rich fabric of interdisciplinary activities.

Petty believes, “A teacher is there as a facilitator, not an espouser of knowledge. I give them a solid foundation, and they complete the rest of the building.” He describes his classroom as “organized chaos,” though it might better be described as a masterfully crafted scene of students up and moving, interacting with one another, and actively engaging with the material. Petty says, “I expect students to speak up and have their questions, opinions, and insights heard.” He jokes, “My students get frustrated because sometimes when they ask a question, I won’t give them an answer right away. I give them clues so that, with what they’ve studied already, they will be able to find the answer themselves.” Petty engages and inspires his students to take charge of their own learning.

But, why Latin? Petty, who comes to GUS from a high school Latin position in North Carolina, was drawn to the language when he was in high school. He pursued his passion for the Latin and Greek languages and literature throughout his college years. Petty lists the many benefits of studying Latin: solidifying English grammar, improving writing skills, expanding vocabulary, building reading comprehension strategies, and enforcing deductive reasoning, logic skills, and conceptual thinking. Sprinkle in an introduction to Greek and Roman mythology, which helps with making sense of Shakespeare, and you wonder how any of us did without Latin studies.

Listening to Petty describe his curriculum and the rationale behind it inspires one to ask, “Where can I sign up for this class?”

Written by Christine Doxsee

Resources Beyond the School’s Walls

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

One of the basics of a Glen Urquhart education is the belief that the curriculum is more enriching if the students have access to multiple resources beyond the school’s walls.  A recent analysis of our connections to outside organizations reveals just how rich those resources are.  There are more than 60 organizations outside the school that provide at least one of the following: the destination for a field trip, an opportunity for service learning, or a source for professional development.

Field trips for students are the largest component, and the array of opportunities is truly amazing.  From day trips to extended overnight trips, every year students benefit from trips that connect to their classroom study.  Following are a few examples of trips by discipline:

• Science: Boston Museum of Science, The Butterfly Place, Cape Cod Sea Camps, Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary, The Food Project, Halibut Point State Park, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Mass Audubon Society, Edgerton Center at MIT, Mystic Seaport Museum, Seacoast Science Center, and more.
• History and Social Studies: African Burial Ground (New York City), Ellis Island National Monument (New York), United Nations (New York), Hammond Castle, Higgins Armory, Massachusetts State House, Wenham Museum, Weston Observatory, and more.
• Art and Music: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Broadway Classroom (New York), Cape Ann Museum, Cape Ann Symphony, Decordova Museum, Museum of Modern Art (New York), Museum of Fine Art, Paley Center for Media (New York), Peabody Essex Museum, and more.
• Service Learning: Beverly Bootstraps, Operation Bootstrap (Lynn), City Mission of Boston, The Food Project, Binns-Counts Community Center (Virginia), Southern Mutual Help Association (Louisiana), Rancho Santa Fe Orphanage (Honduras), Jocelyn Liburd Primary School (Nevis, West Indies), and more.

Language arts and mathematics are integrated into almost all of the trips through journal writing, formal reports or essays, graphing and statistics, and sorting and counting in the primary grades.  Field trips are not conducted just for their own sake.  Rather, they are an extension of the curriculum and require reflection on the part of the students.  Whether in the classroom, on the nature trail on our own property, or on a field trip or service trip, GUS students are engaged in their learning with all their senses.  Using resources beyond the school’s walls is part of the fabric of the program at Glen Urquhart.

Written by Raymond Nance

THE FIFTH GRADE IS EXPANDING!

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

The administration and trustees of Glen Urquhart are pleased to announce the expansion of the fifth grade beginning in the 2012-13 school year.  For the past few years there has been discussion about the advantages and the desirability of expanding the fifth grade in a way that will make for an easier transition to the upper school in sixth grade.  Our hope is to preserve the same “feel” of the lower school while expanding the class in a way that will provide new opportunities for the academic program, as well as new social opportunities.  We believe that the 2012 – 2013 school year presents us with an excellent opportunity to make that happen.

Here are the basic features of this idea:

• The class would expand above the current limit of 24 students to a maximum of 30 students.  We project that next year’s class would have 26 to 28 students.
• There would be two full-time, fully credentialed teachers and one half-time, fully credentialed teacher who would be responsible for teaching all the academic subjects.
• With three teachers, the class could be sub-divided into halves or thirds for academic instruction.  The fifth grade would still be considered one class, but most of their instruction would be in small groups.  Different groupings could be used, depending upon the subject being taught or the types of lessons in which the students would be engaged.  In other words, there would be a lot of flexibility and opportunity for small group instruction.
• The fifth grade would occupy the two classrooms on the second floor above the lower school art and science rooms (currently the Spanish and Latin rooms).  The rooms adjoin each other and accommodate as many as 15 students comfortably.  When the class is divided into three groups, the lower school science room would be utilized.
• These physical spaces would allow for several different models for teaching, depending upon the needs of the class.

We feel that expanding the fifth grade in this way has the following distinct advantages:

• It allows for the expansion of social groups a year earlier than waiting for the move into the upper school.  Students at this age are yearning for that, which is developmentally appropriate and on schedule.
• It creates more possibilities for small group instruction, actually reducing the overall teacher to student ratio.
• It provides more opportunities for individual exploration of student interests.
• It puts GUS on a more even keel with other independent schools in the area that already expand at fifth grade.

Spanish and Latin for the upper school will be moved to the upper school classroom building.  This is now possible because of our new schedule and the fact that we are phasing out Writing Lab in the upper school, which reduces the demand for classroom space.

We are very excited about this new development.  We believe that this opens up possibilities that offer many advantages and very few, if any, disadvantages.  If you have any questions about it, feel free to call Raymond Nance or Donna Staller.

Reading and Discussion of “Alice Bliss” by Laura Harrington: April 4, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

Reading and Discussion of Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington

April 4, 2012, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Nance Assembly Room

Refreshments available in support of Rancho Santa Fe, Honduras

We are very pleased to welcome Laura Harrington, Gloucester author and former GUS parent (Kate Harrington-Rosen ’04), to read from and discuss her novel Alice Bliss, and we invite all parents in the GUS community to attend. Also, we believe the novel presents a singular sharing opportunity for our upper school parents and their teens, so we invite interested 7th and 8th grade students to read the book and join the discussion.

In Alice Bliss, Harrington treats with insight and candor a teenager’s first encounters with some mature and challenging life experiences and also her impetuous exploration of some mature behaviors. We urge parents to read and share the book with their sons and daughters. Alternatively, parents may wish to preview the book or consult Sydney Clarke, Jeffrey Bartsch, or Gretchen Forsyth with any questions about the content.

A limited number of copies can be checked out of the GUS library. The book is available at Beverly Farms Book Shop and other local stores, or you can order a copy from Joanne Crerand in the library (ext. 133 or jcrerand@gus.org) before March 2nd.

Praise for Alice Bliss

• Included in Best Books of 2011 by the School Library Journal in the category “Adult Books for Teens.”
• “Heartbreaking yet edged with promise, Alice Bliss explores the wounds of war, love, and family bonds while illuminating the strength of a young girl’s spirit. A stunning debut.” Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

Novel description

When Alice learns that her father, Matt Bliss, is being deployed to Iraq she’s heartbroken. Alice idolizes her dad, working beside him in their garden, accompanying him on the occasional roofing job, playing baseball.  After Matt ships out, her mother begins to crumble under the pressure of suddenly being a single parent and Alice struggles to fill the void as she balances the drama of adolescence with the effort of keeping her family together.

Alice Bliss is a profoundly moving coming-of-age novel about love and its many variations: the support of a small town looking after its own; love between an absent father and his daughter; complicated love between an adolescent girl and her mother; and an exploration of friendship and new love with the boy-next-door. These characters’ struggles amidst uncertain times echo our own, lending the novel an immediacy and poignancy that is both relevant and real. At once universal and very personal, Alice Bliss is a transforming story about those who are left at home during wartime, and a teenage girl bravely facing the future.

GUS Sampler & Coffee with Future Head, Dave Provost: Friday, February 10 at 8:30 AM

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

Do you ever wonder what it is like to be a student at GUS? What it is like to be taught by our faculty? Do you wonder how we use Smartboards in class? Would you like to know more about Open Circle or upper school homeroom?

Please join us at a GUS Sampler! This is an opportunity for our parent community to experience being students at GUS by attending a sampler of classes with other parents. And this year you will also get to meet our future head of school, Dave Provost.

You will participate in two classes of your choice, join in an Open Circle or homeroom activity, and engage with our faculty in action. In this unique class day, you will gain valuable insight into what and how your children are learning.

Please consider taking part in our GUS Sampler.

Invite a friend who would like to  learn about Glen Urquhart!

SummerScape, a Summer Camp Fair, is this Saturday, February 4th from 11:00 to 3:00

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

SummerScape is one of the largest and oldest summer camp fairs in New England, and the GUS Parents’ Association has been the host for the past 23 years.  It will be held again this year in Braemar on Saturday, February 4th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  SummerScape features representatives from over 75 day and residential summer programs for youth and teens throughout New England, as well as from other parts of the U. S. The fair is free to the public, and SummerScape is our day to introduce GUS to over 1,000 members of the greater North Shore community who visit our campus to attend the fair.  Not only is SummerScape a valuable community service, but it is also a major fundraiser for the GUS Parents’ Association (and the only one where funds come exclusively from outside sources.)

Volunteers are always welcome!

Volunteers are needed to help organize the event and assist with set-up and breakdown. Please send an email to summerscape@gus.org if you are interested in helping.

Volunteer Responsibilities

February 3rd

Set up Braemar for the fair from 3:00 to 4:30 on Friday afternoon, the day before the fair.

February 4th

Beginning at 9:00, welcome the camps, and at 11:00 welcome the public. We will also need help with parking cars for an hour or two between 9:00 and 3:00.  Clean-up volunteers are needed from 3:00 to 4:30.  Please send an email to summerscape@gus.org if you are interested in helping.

For Camps Only (Letter and Registration Form)

Diversity Coffee and Book Discussion – Friday morning, February 3rd at 8:30 (immediately following morning meeting)

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

Please join the Diversity Committee for coffee and conversation about our goals and initiatives followed by informal discussion of the book, Acts of Faith, by Eboo Patel. Acts of Faith is a remarkable account of growing up Muslim in America and testimony to one man’s work to ensure that different religions can and should live side by side.  Share your ideas about diversity and how to build a school community that celebrates and understands differences of faith. See Joanne Crerand for help locating a copy of Acts of Faith. For more information contact Melissa Buchanan buchanan.melissa@yahoo.com or Bob Carroll bbcarroll@gmail.com

Lexington Symphony Visits GUS

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

Beautiful music wafted down the halls of the upper school building recently as four members of the Lexington Symphony performed for lower school students in the Nance Assembly Room.  Their visit provided a prelude to the upcoming “Orchestrating Kids through Classics” performance by the Lexington Symphony in Lexington next week.

This year will be the first that Glen Urquhart third, fourth, and fifth grade students will attend a performance by the Lexington Symphony.  Students have attended Boston Symphony and Cape Ann Symphony concerts in past years, but this year’s performance will be unique in that it will be a dramatic review of music from the last 500 hundred years to the present.

If this recent performance is any indication, the students are in for a real treat.  Each member of the quartet demonstrated selections on his instrument, the violin, viola, clarinet, or tuba, using stories and humor to impart an understanding of and appreciation for each instrument.  One musician related orchestral music to movies and video games.  Another told stories of Paginini’s excessive ego, and the tuba player shared his image of liquid chocolate flowing forth from the bell of the tuba. The students alternated between rapt listening, eager questioning, and hearty laughter.  Not only was their music beautiful…these musicians were FUN!

We are very fortunate to live in a part of the world with high caliber musical organizations that are dedicated to bringing music to youth.  If you would like more information about the Lexington Symphony, please check out www.lexingtonsymphony.org

Our Next Head of School

POSTED BY: Lisa Kent

It is with a true sense of excitement that Glen Urquhart School announces that David Provost will be joining their community on July 1, 2012 as their next Head of School.

Dave received his B.A. from Union College and his M.Ed. from Lesley University.  He will be joining Glen Urquhart after serving as Head of School for the Nantucket New School for the last eight years.  His experience in independent schools goes beyond that, however, having previously served as a classroom teacher and in various administrative roles.  Dave is also a professional musician.

Glen Urquhart began its search after the current Head of School, Raymond Nance, announced that he would be retiring after 15 years on June 30, 2012. Raymond was instrumental in helping Glen Urquhart move to its current position of strength, where academic expectations are high, creative thought is valued, and individualism is celebrated. Under his leadership, the school was recognized with the 2006 NAIS Leading Edge Award for Global Understanding.

Throughout the search for a new Head of School, Glen Urquhart was impressed by the strong response for the position, reflecting the school’s excellent reputation in the independent school marketplace and the sense of aspiration quality candidates had for leading Glen Urquhart to itsnext and promising set of achievements.

Glen Urquhart School is an independent, K-8 day school in Beverly Farms that is known for cultivating original thinkers and inspired learners with a global perspective.