Nick, St. Aelred's House
Vth Form Boarder from North Branford, CT
Classes: AP US History, Precalculus, American Literature, Biology H, French 4H, Faith and Church
Extra-Curricular Activities: Drama (Fall and Spring), Swimming (Winter)
Favorite Abbey Tradition: My favorite Abbey tradition has to be the Headmaster's Holiday, which is a surprise entire day of school off from the Headmaster during Winter Term. Also, another favorite Abbey tradition is the presence of monks on campus. Some may find it strange at first, but the monks are extremely nice and always have a great story to tell or wonderful insight to offer.
Favorite Memory at Portsmouth Abbey: My gosh, where do I begin?! School dances, what we call Tuck Dances or Raven Raves, are always so much fun. I also love exploring campus and even the rest of the island with my friends.
Favorite Part of Boarding School: My favorite part of boarding school is the close bond and friendships I create with friends here. I live with my best friends and there is never a dull moment. In addition to student friendships, it's also cool to live with your teachers. You get to know them very well and they're always there to help you whether in the classroom, as a coach, in my case on the pool deck, or even in the dorms as caring houseparents.
Favorite Class: My favorite class is most definitely AP US History. It's a heavy workload, but I find history fascinating. I might be the only one in the whole course who actually enjoys doing the chapter summaries every week. American History gives me as an American a sense of pride for how our nation was founded and even fought for, building upon the great minds and even not-so-great minds of the centuries.
Favorite Teacher: I respect all my teachers, but Mr. Gittus is one of my favorites. He teaches my AP US History class. Mr. Gittus is extremely knowledgeable and makes his lectures interesting, giving not only the facts but true sentiments of the historical figures of the time, making the time periods come alive.
Favorite Meal: Lemon-grilled chicken, potatoes, and grilled cheese and tomato.
Advice to a New Student: Be outgoing, socially and academically. You will make friends more easily and gain respect from your teachers as a student and also do well in your classes when you participate and work hard. Also, take advantage of clubs, sports, and social events; don't miss out on anything - you only go through high school once.
Why I Chose PAS: I chose the Abbey because it's a great school that provides a comfortable and tight-knit community. It provides a home-y feeling.
PAS is: A unique high school experience like no other.
Favorite Weekend Activities: Providence Place Mall, Swansea Movie Cinema, Boston trip, Tuck dances
Favorite Thing about Aquidneck Island: The scenery is so pretty. I love to take pictures and enjoy photography greatly and living on this scenic island with an ocean view and stunning sunsets is a photographer's dream.
September 30th, 2011-
Summer flew by and it's great to be back in the swing of things. Teachers have jumped right into class work, without delay. Fifth Formers, now well used to the Abbey, have work piled on even within the first week. We're constantly reminded that colleges look at this year and look for improvement from the past two years. College counselors have been incessantly stressing the importance of this year and encouraging us not to lose steam. However, dispite the demands of our classes, we Fifth Formers have found refuge in one another. Whether it's hanging out at mealtimes, complaining of work or discussing our summertime adventures, or spending the last free time we have enjoying the tail end of warm summer weather, my classmates and I are given hope for the year to come.
One event in particular that is an exceptional stress reliever was the Tuck Dance, or Raven Rave, a school-wide dance in the student center. This particular dance the past weekend served as a unifying event that Abbey students were, to be cliché, let their hair down. We danced and packed the student center with possibly over a hundred kids and had a blast. As the music blared, students were found dancing inside, chatting outside, or even just getting some fresh air to cool down from the hot dance room. My friends and I continued dancing from eight until eleven o'clock when the danced ended. Afterwards, the Social Committee, a bunch of upperclassmen who organize the school events, chatted about the success of the dance and tried to piece together what was left of the student center. Couches were slid back into place and lights were taken down, and we all relished in the lasting positive energy of the night.
As October rolls in, the weather begins to cool, and despite a few heat spells, sweater weather is slowly emerging. I especially love cold weather, because it means comfortable sweaters and long jeans. My friends love to trade sweaters and see whose is the most comfortable. During study hall, I open my windows, much to the dismay of my roommate, and bundle up against the finally cool wind that blows through the dorm. Focusing on school and classes, the leaves begin to fall without notice. Especially as advisory grades roll in within a couple of weeks, students pull themselves together after the fun weekend and dive into their course load, taking on last minute tests and quizzes in order to boost their grade.
In addition to schoolwork, after school activities have also proved to be a busy. This year, the Abbey Players are working on Aristophanes': The Frogs, an ancient Greek theater piece. I was fortunate enough to receive the lead in this play as Dionysus, the Greek god clamoring through Hades in order to find a poet for his festival of the theater. Play practices fill my afternoons before dinner as we run scenes and interpret the dialogue.
Fall term has proved to be busy. However, as long as I keep focused, I shouldn't become buried by weekly AP US History chapter summaries or long English recitations. With my friends to help along and the lure of the long weekends, school seems very manageable. Plus, each weekend is always an adventure on campus. Whether it's heading into Newport or relaxing at the bay, there's always a new friend to meet or memories to make. There's never a dull moment here at the Abbey.
