2006-7 School Year Opens with Remembrance, Recognitions: Under bright-blue autumn skies, Portsmouth Abbey School celebrated the opening of its 2006-7 academic year on Monday, September 11, with an all-School Mass and Opening Assembly. Headmaster Dr. James De Vecchi opened School Assembly by remembering recently deceased members of the School community, including Adam Towler '05 and Stephen H. Garner, father of Steve Garner '08. Dr. De Vecchi also acknowledged the five-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, and asked the School family to remember Ted Brennan '82 and all others who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. He then recognized the 111 new students and 11 new faculty members who have joined the School community and listed major improvements made around campus during the summer, including: the installation of light sensors in classrooms; new bathrooms in St. Aelred's; the creation of two new athletic fields; and the renovation of the Loft/Environmental & Marine Science Building. He also announced the groundbreaking for the much-awaited new girl's dorm which took place during the week of September 11. With 36 dorm rooms, three faculty apartments and state-of-the-art integrated "green" technology, the dorm will be located adjacent to St. Mary's. An official Blessing of the Ground will be held during Parents' Weekend in October, and move-in for students is slated for September 2007. Robert Sahms, Academic Dean, congratulated the students in each form who achieved the highest academic standing during the 2005-6 School year: Geneva White (III), Jonathan Samorajski (IV) and Joseph Chu (V). Associate Headmaster Dan McDonough announced that, as of this year, all students will have a School email address and will be expected to use it.
Host Families Needed for International Students: Dr. Fred Zilian, International Student Advisor, is looking for local parents to volunteer as host families for several international students who have requested them. A host family invites the student home occasionally and helps the student adjust to living here in the U.S. We find it can be especially important the first few months of school. If interested, please contact Dr. Zilian at 643-1266 or fzilian@portsmouthabbey.org.
Meet This Year's New Faculty: A number of talented individuals have joined our faculty this year. We welcome them and introduce them here: Emily Fiskio, who holds degrees in English and Education from Wheaton College, teaches English 1 and 3 and is coaching field hockey and softball. Pat Hewett '00 returns to the Abbey as a Development Officer. A graduate of St. Anselm's College, he is Assistant Houseparent in St. Leonard's and coaches JV football and baseball. Anna Jones is the School's new Senior Development Officer. She is a graduate of Connecticut College. Aileen Keenan, a graduate of Williams College, is the new Assistant Director of Admissions. She will also coach track and field. Gregory Kierstead, a graduate of Brown University, teaches Math and Computer Science. He will also serve as Assistant Houseparent in St. Leonard's and will coach soccer and lacrosse. Rachel May is this year's Writer-in-Residence. She received her B.A. degree from Davidson College and her M.A. and M.F.A. from the University of Montana. Kevin Morrissey, who received his undergraduate degree from Norwich University and graduate degree from Columbus State University, teaches Math. He is Assistant Houseparent in St. Hugh's and will coach soccer and ice hockey. Christine Sahms, a familiar face at school, is the new Study Skills Specialist. Christine received a B.S. from the University of Rhode Island and a M.Ed. from Providence College. Kate Spinella, a graduate of Bryn Mawr College, is Development Officer for Alumni/Parent Programs. Kathy Stark is the School's new Assistant Director of Communications. She is a graduate of Princeton University. Mindy Urick, a Georgetown University graduate, is teaching two sections of English 3 and will coach field hockey and lacrosse. Mindy will also serve as the Assistant Director of the new Portsmouth Abbey Summer English Program in 2007.
Faculty Changes: Robert Rainwater, head of the Science Department, has assumed the role of Coordinator of Christian Community Service. Steve Pietraszek '96 will teach History in addition to his duties as Assistant Director of Admissions. Tara and Eamonn ('95) O'Brien are now Assistant Houseparents in St. Benet's. Tara is an instructor in the Science department, and Eamonn teaches English and Humanities. Christa McDougall, who teaches French and Honors French, has become Head Houseparent at St. Benet's. New Faces in Development/Alumni Affairs/Communications: Fran Cook, Alumni and Parent Relations Coordinator; and Amanda Sanders, Communications Coordinator.
Admissions News: On Tuesday evening, August 29, the Admissions Office sponsored a Meet and Greet for new students from Cape Cod and surrounding communities. The gathering was hosted by Susan and Dewitt Davenport at The Red Jacket Beach Club in North Yarmouth. Many new students and their families were greeted by current Abbey students as well as the admissions officers whom they had come to know during this year's application process. The Admissions Office 2006 Open House will be held on Saturday, October 21. Please check the School Website for details.
Sixth Annual Golf Tournament Repeats Success: In spite of inclement weather, 74 golfers gamely took to the Carnegie Abbey golf course on Friday, September 15, for a great, albeit soggy, day of golf at the 6th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament. A near-constant drizzle throughout the day did little to dampen the spirits of the golfers. All participants were treated to social hour and a terrific buffet dinner at the Carnegie Abbey Lodge following their travails on the course. P.J. Coughlin '82 led his foursome to the winning low gross with a score of 74, and the father-and-son team of Philip and David Willis '82 won low net with a 58. The tournament raised more than $35,000 for the Portsmouth Abbey Scholarship Fund. Hopefully next year, bright skies will prevail! Check out photos from this year's golf tournament.
Jubilee Mass and Celebration: On September 17, the Monastic Community marked three special occasions: the fiftieth anniversary of the Ordination of Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. '45, the twentieth anniversary of the Ordination of Right Rev. Mark Serna, O.S.B., and the twenty-fifth anniversary of Abbot Mark's Profession of Monastic Vows. The Jubilee Mass, concelebrated in The Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great, was followed by a luncheon in the Stillman Dining Hall to which the Faculty and friends of the jubilarians were invited.
New Legislation Creates Charitable Giving Opportunity: The passage of the Pension Protection Act on August 17, 2006, provides tax incentives to donors age 70� or older when they contribute IRA (Individual Retirement Account) assets to educational institutions such as Portsmouth Abbey School. Donors, under the IRA rollover provision, can transfer up to $100,000 per year from their IRA directly to a charity without having to report the dollars as income on their tax return. This provision is only valid through December 2007 and is an exciting development for charitable giving. If you are interested in more information about the Pension Protection Act or other types of giving to Portsmouth, please visit our Giving page on the School Website. For those of you 59� or older, you may also take advantage of making charitable gifts through your IRA, 401(k) and other, select types of retirement accounts when transferring funds directly to a charitable organization. With proper planning, you may avoid a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty and be able to make a gift via your retirement assets without carrying an excessive tax burden for the additional income. For more specific information on how this might benefit you, contact your account administrator.
2006 Haney Fellowships: For the past eight years, Bill Haney '80 has generously funded summer independent work for qualified Fifth Formers. The Fellowships are awarded on the basis of submitted proposals and provide a unique summer educational experience. This past summer was no exception; four Fifth Formers were afforded the opportunity to study in a range of programs across the USA. Lucas Zipp '07 attended Cal State Summer School for Math and Science. Called COSMOS, the program exposed students to astrophysics and physicist research. Lucas said, "The biggest experiment we conducted was to measure the average lifetime of a muon particle. A highlight of the program was our field trip to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). It is a two-mile-long underground tunnel that smashes particles together at high energies. I had a lot of fun and met a lot of smart and interesting people." Claire Chung '07 attended the USA exploration of Architecture Program at USC. There, she not only was introduced to college life but was able to study her passion, architecture. Along with 15 other students from all over the world, Claire worked hard under the tutelage of one instructor. Of her experience, Claire said, "I learned a lot about how architecture is the relationship between space, body, and sensory perception through the union of construction material and creative design. But the most vital lesson I learned was about the importance of diversity and teamwork...we all became lifetime friends within three weeks." Ryana Barbosa '07 attended the National Student Leadership Conference in International Diplomacy at Fordham University for 10 days in June. Of her 10 days in New York, Ryana recalls: "It was an amazing program. Every day was jam-packed with lectures on international relations theories, mock United Nations councils, in which I represented the Hellenic Republic (Greece) on the Security Council. We had visits from the U.N. Ambassador from Slovakia and visited the U.S. Ambassador at his office in New York City. I made many friends while there and shared many memorable experiences. I plan to major in Political Science/International Relations in college so this experience only enhanced my decision. I had an amazing time and am extremely grateful to Mr. Haney for presenting me with this opportunity." See photos of the 2006 Haney '80 Fellowship recipients.
Summer Trip to Spain - A Memorable Experience: This summer's trip to Spain, led by Roberto Guerenabarrena, the School's Head of Modern Languages, was again a great success. The five Abbey students who attended the month-long immersion program, based in Salamanca, were given an unparalleled opportunity to experience Spanish language life, and culture. Of his month in Spain, Mike Reilly '07 said: "It was definitely the best summer of my life. From the Plaza de Mayor to the Mosques of Cordoba to the sword shops of Toledo and even to the beaches of Portugal, we saw it all. I don't know what could make a better summer than a culture-packed trip to a foreign land that lets you earn nine credits and have the best time of your life before college!" Chantra Pimolwatana '07 added: "I made many friends and saw and experienced more things during this one-month trip than I have my whole life. We saw so much culture and history wherever we went. One of the highlights for me was during our trip to Madrid, when we went to El Prado, one of the greatest art museums in the world. It literally created a new passion in my life." And from Mike Gorman '07: "My proficiency in the language improved exponentially due to the five-hour classes we took all week, and on weekends we traveled to places most people only read about in books. Throughout the 30 days of 100 percent immersion into a foreign language, culture and way of life, the circumstances were perfect for a young man or woman to explore and live as an adult. I'd recommend it, because breaking the language barrier and connecting with people from across the Atlantic is a life-altering experience." For photos of the Spain trip, click here.
Anecdotes Needed!! Calling all alums - we need your recollections! We are looking for anecdotes or favorite memories of houseparents from previous years. Please, if you have a long-forgotten but still humorous or notable story of life with your houseparent, send it to us: kstark@portsmouthabbey.org. Look for a feature article on residential life in the Winter '07 Bulletin.
The Bookstore Is Open: The Raven Bookstore is open for business, with favorite School stand-bys as well as some terrific new merchandise - UnderArmour shirts, shorts, leggings and t-necks, Eliza B flip-flops, Ladies'-Cut Fleece Jackets, and more. Click here to shop online.
Answer to Summer Question: How many years has Portsmouth held a Summer School? Answer: Portsmouth Abbey has held a Summer School since the 1960-1 School year, 46 years ago.
September Question: What year did Portsmouth Abbey School accept its first international student, and from what country was that student? Please e-mail answers to communications@portsmouthabbey.org.
A Farewell: Tony Klemmer '73 announced his intention to step down from his position of Assistant Headmaster for External Affairs effective in December. Over the next three months, the School and Tony will be working together on the transition of his many areas of responsibility. During the past three and a half years, Tony's contributions have been many-including the conception of these Monthly Musings-and his presence an important part of our campus culture. As Tony finishes his responsibilities at Portsmouth, he will be concentrating on the completion of the requirements for a PhD in Humanities at Salve Regina University. On behalf of our entire community, we thank Tony for his dedicated and skilled service to the School and its mission. He has been and will continue to be a close friend of Portsmouth Abbey and School.
