Fall Dean's List/Honor Roll Announced: The Dean's List and Honor Roll for the Fall 2007-8 Term were announced in December. The Dean's List formally recognizes the scholastic achievement of students whose average is unusually distinguished. To qualify, a student must be taking at least six courses, have a GPA of 3.5 and no grade under B in regular courses or under B- in Honors/AP courses. Click here to see a full list of students on the Dean's List for the Fall 2007-8 Term.
Honors Privileges are extended to students who have a GPA of 3.0 and no grade under C+. Third, Fourth and Fifth Form students who earn Honors are entitled to take an additional overnight the following term. Click here to see the Honor Roll for the Fall 2007-8 Term. Congratulations to all of these students!
Naseemah Mohamed '08 Named Morehead-Cain Finalist: Naseemah Mohamed '08 has been selected as a finalist for a Morehead-Cain Scholarship. This is the first year that Portsmouth Abbey was selected to nominate a student for the Program. The prestigious Morehead-Cain Scholars Program, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, combines a full four-year scholarship to the university with a comprehensive experiential learning and leadership development program. Morehead-Cain scholarship recipients are afforded a wide range of opportunities to nurture their desire to make a difference in the world by growing and developing as a leader.
As a finalist, Naseemah has been invited to the UNC at Chapel Hill for three days in early March, where she will learn more about the program and be interviewed by the Morehead-Cain Selection Committee. She will be joined in North Carolina by approximately 139 other Morehead-Cain finalists from across the USA and Great Britain. Approximately 75 of the finalists will receive a Morehead-Cain Scholarship. Scholarship recipients will be notified on March 7. Congratulations to Naseemah for her selection as a finalist, and best of luck in March!
Students in the News: Lilli Donahue '09 was recently featured in the December '07/January '08 issue of Teen Vogue for her efforts to increase environmental awareness. Lilli was selected in a contest sponsored by CoverGirl based on an essay she wrote about How Teens Can Make a Difference in Global Warming. She went to New York City for interviews and a photo shoot.
Lilli has been trying to introduce "green' initiatives to Portsmouth's campus, and says, "There is so much we can do as a community if we try." She participated in Climate Crisis Day in Washington, D.C., last spring, and has met with several U.S. Senators and Congressmen to discuss increasing alternative energy incentives. Keep up the good work, Lilli!
Annual Fund--Halfway There! We are happy to report that over 50% of the $1.3 million Annual Fund goal for the 2007-2008 fiscal year had been raised as of December 31, 2007. Thank you to all who have donated or pledged already, we are grateful for your support. If you have not made your gift you can do so today at: www.portsmouthabbey.org/makeagift. Thanks again for your support!
Fall Term APA List Announced: Congratulations to all 180 students who made the APA list for the Fall '07 Term. These students distinguished themselves through superior effort by having a minimum of two APA grades at "5," the highest possible grade, and no APA grades below "4." Each student included on the Fall '07 APA list has earned one additional overnight during the Winter '08 Term. The application/performance assessment is intended to supplement the letter grade and records the individual's effort, application and commitment to his or her course work. Criteria include preparation, promptness, participation, perseverance, and progress. Special recognition goes to the following students, all of whom earned an APA grade of "5" in each of their courses:
Sixth Form: Marisa Edmonds; Margaret Ferrara; Aeree Kim; "Stacey" Ja Kyung Lee; Brianne Rok; Jonathan Samorajski; and Chris Thompson. Fifth Form: Jung Won Kim; "Janet" Sun Young Lee; and Geneva White. Fourth Form: Eloise Andry; Luke Gleason; Jae Seung Hwang; Matt Rosenthal; and Kathryn Yao. Third Form: Francesca Bessey; Gabriela Gutierrez; and Edward Kielb. Congratulations to these hard-working students!
Abbot's Reception Once Again A Success: More than 200 alumni, parents, staff and friends gathered at the Abbot's Reception on December 5 in New York City for plenty of good cheer and camaraderie. The addition this year of a student performer, talented soprano Caroline Mason '08, and the opportunity to hear Fr. Ambrose play once more, added greatly to the already festive evening. View photos from the Abbot's Reception.
Clothe-A-Child Sets Record for Giving: In early December, representatives from S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) collected donations from their fellow students, parents, faculty and staff to purchase new coats, clothes, home heating oil, gift cards and other much-needed items for disadvantaged families. This year's effort, led by Liz Childs '08 and Kevin Walsh '08, raised $9,584, more than any other year since the program started in 1990, allowing the group to sponsor a record 192 children in need. Kudos to the S.A.D.D. students and the Infirmary staff for once again spearheading this most worthwhile effort, and thanks to all who contributed.
Students Represent Oman at Harvard Model U.N.: Portsmouth Abbey students represented the Middle Eastern country of Oman at the 55th Harvard Model United Nations conference in Boston held December 6-9. The 11 students who attended prepared for the conference by researching, writing papers and practicing speeches on Oman's political stances. One student described the experience as "...an amazing weekend. We met people from all over, including Costa Rica and Ireland, 'solved' global warming, and had a model UN rap-off!" Another student stated, "Through Model UN, I realized how crucial it is for each nation to communicate and collaborate in order to seek the best solution to different issues that the world is facing...pretty fascinating stuff!" Participating students were Claire McCarthy '08, Sun Kyoung Choi '09, Jungwon Kim '09, Jonathan Samorajski '08, Max Almanzor '08, Libby Sacco '09, Lillian Donahue '09, Katie Collins '08, Janet Lee '09, Soo Ho Ahn '09, and Lisa Zhong '08. The stuents were accompanied by faculty member Ms. Kendra Smith.
Planned Giving Ideas:
While you are thinking about a gift to Portsmouth Abbey; please take a few moments to visit our gift planning Web site to read about the School's gift planning options. You can learn about leaving Portsmouth Abbey School a gift through a bequest in your will or setting up a unique gift vehicle that works for you.
New Activities for 2008 Summer Program: The Portsmouth traditions of excellence and enrichment will continue this year with the 2008 Summer Program. Plans are well underway, and this year's program promises to offer a month of new friends, fun experiences and engaging academic instruction. Beyond traditional courses that emphasize reading, writing and public speaking, students may participate in hands-on enrichment activities including Environmental and Marine Sciences and Plein Air Landscape Painting, all taught by our talented Abbey faculty. Real New England summer activities-sailing in Newport, beachcombing, walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, enjoying a real New England clambake, and trips to Martha's Vineyard and the ever-popular Six Flags-will ensure a fun-filled experience for students. To learn more about the summer Program, visit the Web site, or contact Mr. Peter O'Connor, Summer Program Director, at 401.643.1225 or summer@portsmouthabbey.org.
Winter Musical to Feature Into the Woods: Broadway comes once again to the Abbey on the weekend of Feb. 22-24, when the Abbey Players will present the Tony Award-winning musical, Into the Woods. Based upon four Brothers Grimm fairy tales, the at-times funny, at-times emotional plot blends Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel with contemporary realities, complete with twists and turns of fate. With an original story by James Lapine and strong score by Stephen Sondheim, the characters in this renowned production, which premiered on Broadway in 1987, learn important life-lessons about what it takes to live, if possible, "happily ever after." Mark your calendars for February 22-24, and join us for another top-notch Abbey Players' production!
Upcoming School Events:
Jan. 21 - March for Life, Washington, D.C.
Jan. 31 - Deadline, Applications for 2008-9 School Year
Jan. 31-Feb. 4 - Winter Weekend
Feb. 7 - All-School Retreat
Feb. 8-9 - Fifth Form College Seminar
Feb. 9 - Parents' Committee Cocktail Party, School Auditorium
Feb. 15-16 - Diman Scholar Weekend
Feb. 22 -23 - Abbey Players' Present Into the Woods
Spring Alumni Events-Save the Date!
Tuesday, March 4 - Vero Beach Reception, hosted by Jim Mulholland '79
Wednesday, March 5 - Palm Beach Reception, hosted by Barry Donahue '68
More details to come. For questions, please contact Kate Spinella at 401.643.1276 or kspinella@portsmouthabbey.org. Please email us (rsvp@portsmouthabbey.org) if you would like to be included on our invitation list for these Florida events. Please check the Website for more events throughout the winter term.
Post-Script to October's Holy Lawn Question: The following recollections were offered by Patrick Ward '81: "While Father Damian's account of the genesis of the Holy Lawn may be accurate, I might respectfully challenge the 'gradual' nature of the plot's sanctity. I arrived at Portsmouth in 1976 and the lawn was well known then as the Holy Lawn and as I recall there were penalties for crossing it, to the extent that doing so was considered rebellious. The 'respect' Father Damian refers to was well enforced, not self-imposed.
"I also recall a story, which is probably apocryphal, that recounts a supposed event of the School year before my Second Form -- 1975-76 -- and illustrates the point. The seniors (Sixth Formers), as a stunt, one night spirited all the tables and chairs from the Stillman Dining Hall and re-erected them on the Holy Lawn. As the last table was being put in place in the hours before dawn, a young teacher up for an early run or something happened upon the escapade and told the boys to replace the furniture before breakfast. Which they did...No disciplinary action was ever taken.
"Now the timing really doesn't work: a small group of students could hardly slip an entire dining hall furniture set out of one building and onto a lawn in the middle of campus in a matter of a few hours without security, the kitchen staff or a monk or teacher catching them long before they had nearly completed the task. But for a 13-year-old beginning his boarding school career, folklore like that shapes you...and the story has stayed with me for over 30 years...and whenever I think of the Holy Lawn, it comes immediately to mind..."
Answer to November Question of the Month: Mr. Peter Mack, who between 1990-2000 served the Abbey in many capacities, including admissions officer, English teacher, director of athletics, and coach of several varsity teams, was a popular figure on campus--as were his dogs. How many dogs did Mr. Mack have, and what were their names? Many of you had fun with this one, remembering that Bailey and Boo were much-loved fixtures on campus during those years. Amie Beth Aguiar '00 recalled that "they liked to come to our field hockey practice;" Tristan Mouligne '98 remembered a varsity basketball road trip to New Jersey during which "...12 players, two coaches (Mr. Mack and Chaz Holder), and Bailey and Boo were all stuffed in an Abbey van. I still have leg cramps - will never forget it!" Alandra Van Dross '98 added, "Bailey was a big fluffy golden, and then Mr. Mack got floppy-eared Boo. I remember he had that one ear that flopped down. Mr. Mack even tried taping his ears up together, but it didn't work!" The Mack household eventually included a third canine, Toby-owned by Mr. Mack's now-wife, then Renee Rybinski. Mr. Mack reports that the dogs were, indeed, "a prolific presence--mostly snagging food when the opportunity arose. Bailey rummaged more than one student room during dorm prayers in the evening when the students were otherwise engaged. He once brought me a two-pound salami. Sadly," he added, "all three--Bailey, Boo, and Toby--have moved on to greener pastures."
December Question of the Month: In what year was the Tuck Shop founded? Please email your answers to communications@portsmouthabbey.org.
