Monthly Musings

This is the fourteenth in an ongoing series of informal communications with Portsmouth Abbey School's constituents. Current parents, alumni/ae, past parents and friends have all expressed an interest in hearing more about our school, more often. It is meant to be one element among a number of activities designed to keep you better informed about the School, the Monastery and our community.

In-Flight Video: During September and October, Continental Airlines will be showing a two-minute feature about Portsmouth Abbey School on their movie channel, on all video-equipped 767 and 777 flights both domestically and internationally. A crew was on campus in the Spring, and filmed day-to-day activity, interviewed Dr. De Vecchi, and filmed mass at the Church of Saint Gregory the Great. There will also be an audio interview with Assistant Headmaster, Tony Klemmer '73. He discusses the independent boarding school in America, and Portsmouth Abbey School specifically, for your listening pleasure! If you fly Continental during these months (perhaps en route to Reunion Weekend), please look and listen for us, and let us know what you think by e-mailing us at communications@portsmouthabbey.org.

International turnout at Summer School 2004: Sixty-three students from 12 countries combined learning with fun and new friendships on campus this July. Robert Sahms, Director of the Summer School, was delighted to host travelers from Thailand, Korea, Romania, and Spain, to name but a few. The students enjoyed developing skills such as public speaking, and map reading, as well as learning a new language, and Web page design. This year also saw the introduction of the first Intensive Theatre Workshop, which allowed the students to explore the fundamentals of acting and the technical aspects of theater, before treating an audience to a final production of Treasure Island. On weekends, all the students enjoyed trips to Six Flags, Boston, Martha's Vineyard, and Plimouth Plantations, for an all-American 4th of July. Regular beach trips introduced our visitors to the beauty of the Newport shore in the summer of 2004! For photos of Summer School classes and extra-curricular fun, visit the Photo Galleries on the Portsmouth Abbey School Website. If this sounds like a summer that you, your children, or some children you know would enjoy, visit the Summer School Page on the School Website - it is never too early to plan for next year. Don't forget to ask about our alumni/ae discount!

The Office of Admissions: The Office of Admissions is delighted to announce that School enrollment is the strongest it has ever been, with over one hundred new students arriving in September. This includes the children of seven Portsmouth Abbey School alumni. The Admissions Open House this year will be held on October 23, 2004, when the Office welcomes the opportunity to host prospective students and parents on campus. For further information, please check out the Admissions Page on the Portsmouth Abbey School Website.

Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week: Christian Burnett '04 was named Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week in the issue dated July 24th/25th. Christian was recruited to the Newport Rifle Club's shooting team, and in July he scored a personal best (563 out of a possible 600) at the Three-Position Air Rifle Junior Olympic Championships in Bowling Green, KY. Following a post-graduate year, Christian plans to attend the Naval Academy and become a fighter pilot. Congratulations, and the best of luck to Christian! To track other up-and-coming Portsmouth Abbey School athletes, visit the Athletics Page on the School Website.

Student plays with the Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities team: Bryan Kriner '07 shot two home runs out of McCoy Stadium on July 23rd, securing a win for the Pawtucket RBI all-star team over Schenectady, NY. This win gave the team a chance to go to Comerica Park, Detroit, and play teams from around the world. Bryan was picked for the team by an opposing coach, Jeff Calista from Wheeler School, during a game at Portsmouth Abbey School. Bryan also plays hockey and football at the School, and is the son of long-time School employee Mitch Kriner. We will be watching his progress closely! For more Athletics news, visit the Athletics Page on our Website.

New Administrative Faculty on Campus this Summer: The Portsmouth Abbey School is delighted to welcome six new administrative faculty this year. In the Office of Admissions, Nicholas Antol and Steven Pietraszek '96 have started as Assistant Directors of Admissions. Steve will also be Director of Financial Aid, and have responsibility for Admissions' Web content. The Office of Alumni and Development welcomes Tony Manory as Major Gifts Officer, Sarah McDonough as Development Officer, and Jenna Flynn as Development Assistant. Ms Nicky Piper has joined the Communications Office as Assistant Director of Communications and David Brown has taken over as Business Manager/Director of Finance after the retirement of Kathie Crellin this summer. Look at for September's Musings for information on new teaching faculty. For further information, please visit the complete Faculty Directory on our Website.

New England Lacrosse Camp at Portsmouth Abbey School: One hundred fifty of the top lacrosse players in the country, from twenty-three states, attended the 11th annual New England Top 150 Lacrosse Camp on Portsmouth Abbey's campus this July. Eleven Portsmouth Abbey students, forty of the top college lacrosse coaches, and twelve of the top prep school coaches attended, providing the athletes an opportunity to find the right college match during an organized recruitment night. The athletes played 2 games each day on lacrosse fields overlooking Narragansett Bay, and also had use of the newly constructed Squash & Fitness Center. The camp is run every year by our Director of Athletics, Al Brown. For more information on Portsmouth Abbey School Athletics, visit the Athletics page on the School Website.

Professional Development Pursuits for Teaching Faculty: Aroline Seibert, Zach Kaufman, Dave Pillsbury and Shane McCarthy all spent time this summer working to improve their knowledge for performance in the classroom. Aroline spent six weeks in Guadalajara, Mexico, studying for her Masters in Spanish with Middlebury College. She took a course in Baroque and Neobaroque literature in Latin America, one about Mexican Cultural Production in the 19th Century, and one about Sociolinguistics of Guadalajara. While traveling around the country, and living with a local family, she learned a lot about the culture, the people and the politics. Zach spent three weeks in Quepos, Costa Rica, taking intensive language classes, while also staying with a local family. He also found time to travel this diverse and culturally rich country, hiking and wildlife watching. He describes it as "an unforgettable experience and an incredible opportunity to learn". Dave spent time in Durham, NH, studying for his Masters in Teaching Mathematics, a program designed to deepen a teachers understanding of the material they teach. He took Euclidean and Non-Euclidean geometry along with a Proof and Problem solving class, starting from the ground and building up, by way of rigorous proof, the fundamentals of geometry. Proof and Problem solving provided him with tools for the upper level classes he will take in the coming years. Dave looks forward to returning next year. Shane attended a "Field Marine Ecology for Teachers" course at Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island, Maine, taking part in lecture and field work. The course was excellent exposure to the intertidal zone and its inhabitants, and Shane is excited about implementing many of the activities and laboratories in his class this year.

Writing at Portsmouth Abbey School guide released: The School is delighted to introduce the first-ever guide to Writing at Portsmouth Abbey School, through the work of Michael Bonin, Bowen Smith, and others. The guide provides valuable information for current parents on the Writing Curriculum and scoring methods at the School, and is available for download from the English Department page on the School Website.

Portsmouth Abbey School's Own Hall-of-Famer: Known to most on campus as Chaz, or simply Coach, Charlie Holder has been an invaluable member of the Portsmouth Abbey School Athletics Department as basketball and golf coach. Now Charlie has been inducted into the City of Newport Sports Hall of Fame, as all-stater in basketball and golf. We are proud and honored to name him as part of our community. Congratulations Coach!

Watch Your Mailboxes: The Summer Bulletin will be winging its way to you in the next few weeks. As well as the regular features, such as News of Note and Class Notes, we talk to Alumni who have been involved in conflict, considering how their Benedictine education effected their war experiences. This is supported by an article on the Just War Theory, a reflection on Portsmouth Abbey School during the war years, and an essay on American Exceptionalism by Dr Fred Zilian. Enjoy also a complete report on Commencement 2004, including a colorful photo spread and transcripts of the Valedictorian Address of Jerome Igle '04, and the Commencement Address of Lt.General Josiah Bunting III. We look forward to your feedback on this thought-provoking and, hopefully, informative issue. Please let us know what you think at communications@portsmouthabbey.org.

Reunion Weekend 2004: Reunion Weekend 2004, October 1st through 3rd, is packed with great events for alumni/ae of all ages and family, old and young. For a schedule of events, visit your on-line Alumni Community Reunions page. For hotel reservations contact Megan at Newport Reservations (800-842-0102) and tell her that you are with the Portsmouth Abbey Reunion. We hope to see you at the weekend's events and to share in fond memories of Portsmouth. Please visit our Website to register online today! Please contact Sarah McDonough at smcdonough@portsmouthabbey.org or (401) 683-2000 ext. 276 for further information.

Fourth Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament: This annual event will be held on the 1st of October at the Carnegie Abbey Club, and is shaping up to be a great event again this year. We hope that many of you will join us on the links for a great day of golf and camaraderie. Space is limited, so register online today! Please contact Sarah McDonough at smcdonough@portsmouthabbey.org or (401) 683-2000 ext. 276 for further information.

A big THANK YOU from the Office of Alumni and Development: The Office of Alumni and Development is delighted to announce that with the generous help of all of our friends, the Annual Fund goal of $900,000 was surpassed in June. The Annual Fund makes up a significant percentage of the operating budget of the School, so this milestone achievement will allow us to continue on our path of growth and the fulfillment of our goals. We could not do any of it without you, the Portsmouth Abbey School community. And now onto next year, and an even higher goal! It is never too early to begin, so don't forget you can use our secure Online Giving tool at any time. Thank you again.

The Answer to the June Musings Question: "What year saw the arrival of the tuck shop, or 'candy store', on Portsmouth Abbey campus?"
1931. The Raven, in November of that year, comments on the fact that the store took away business from those entrepreneurial boys who, until then, sold candy during breaks.

The July/August Question of the Month: What color stone is placed intermittently within the stone walls running around campus? Please email answers to communications@portsmouthabbey.org

If you have questions, comments, or ideas, please contact the Communications Department at communications@portsmouthabbey.org.

Kathy Heydt Director of Communications

Nicky Piper Asst. Director of Communications

For all issues related to the School, please contact Tony Klemmer at tklemmer@portsmouthabbey.org or Jim De Vecchi at jdevecchi@portsmouthabbey.org at any time. We welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Tony Klemmer '73 Assistant Headmaster Institutional Stewardship

Jim De Vecchi Headmaster

Visit our web site at: www.portsmouthabbey.org