Head of School Search Update: More than 600 responses to the Head of School Search Survey, sent to all school constituents in late January, were received by search consultants Carney Sandoe. Thank you to everyone who participated. Your responses have helped the Carney Sandoe team in developing a profile for our next Head of School. Larry Becker, of Carney Sandoe, will be presenting survey findings to the Board of Regents at the Board meeting on April 14. Meanwhile, a detailed document, the Head of School Leadership Opportunity, has been written by the Search Committee and is being distributed by Carney Sandoe to prospective candidates around the country. Read the document.
2012 Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Lecturer: The Honorable Lincoln Chafee, Governor of Rhode Island, visited School on March 23 to address the students as this year's Saint Elizabeth Seton speaker. Governor Chafee's lecture, titled "Lessons from the Field," followed his journey in politics from his first campaign to some of the difficult votes and decisions he's had to make while in office. Read more. View photos. View a video of the Governor's lecture.
Winter Term Dean's List, Honor Roll Announced: The Dean's List and Honor Roll for the 2011-12 Winter Term have been announced. Congratulations to all of these students! View the lists.
Admissions Hosts Packed House for "Closer Look": The Office of Admission was thrilled to host 84 admitted students for the annual Closer Look Program on Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31. Students came from all over the country to have one final look at Portsmouth Abbey School before making a final enrollment decision on April 10. Read more. View photos.
Summer Program Gearing Up: The Summer Program continues to add courses and activities, and admissions are going very well. Students from around the country and three continents have registered to attend. The faculty is a great mix of Portsmouth Abbey veterans and experienced independent school teachers from other schools. Please pass the word to any student going into the seventh through tenth grades about this fun summer opportunity that will be exciting, broadening, and will help them be better students when school starts again in the fall. Learn more.
ASP 2012—Improving Quality of Life in Chavies, Kentucky: Thirty-one volunteers from Portsmouth Abbey, including 23 students, spent one week of March break in the rural town of Chavies, Kentucky, helping to improve the quality of life for residents there by renovating and refurbishing homes. Following a 17-hour drive over the weekend of March 10-11, the four teams, led by Abbey faculty, staff, parents and Wilfred Wright '63, settled in at an ASP Lodge that served as headquarters for the week. Read more. View photo albums taken by several members of this year's ASP team.
Athletic Awards - Winter Term: The Abbey's student-athletes were recognized on March 26 at the Winter Term Athletics Awards Assembly. Athletic Director Al Brown congratulated all students on their accomplishments, especially Sean Buckley '12, who garnered League MVP honors for his swimming accomplishments and led the Boys' Varsity Swimming Team to its second consecutive league title. Coach Brown also thanked all those who work hard behind the scenes - athletic department staff, trainers, and coaches - for their continued efforts on behalf of the athletic teams. View athletic awards.
College Counseling Update: The Portsmouth Abbey College Counseling Office has been very busy of late. Much of March was spent verifying with our representatives that the admission offices of the schools where our students have applied are in receipt of all supporting material from our office. Some of our reps will also ask us for any update, and most will give us a look at how their cycle is going: up or down in applications received (most are up!), larger class, smaller class, percent of class admitted early, financial aid issues, etc. Read more.
Make the Right Move Before the Horn Sounds: In the 2012-13 school year, Portsmouth Abbey School will again field a wrestling team. From 1955-1994, wrestling was a component of the winter sports season at Portsmouth. The return of wrestling will expand Portsmouth's roster of sports to 25 and the number of overall teams to 41. The School's current athletic conference, the Eastern Independent League (EIL), has a well-established wrestling league that will provide great competition for our athletes. Putting Portsmouth Abbey grapplers back on the mat has a total cost of $40,000. You have a chance to directly help Portsmouth Abbey student-athletes get back on the mat, literally! Please direct questions regarding athletics/wrestling to Director of Athletics Al Brown. Inquiries about financially supporting the revitalization of wrestling should be sent to Assistant Head for Development Patrick Burke '86, P '15.
Alumni Events in Florida Well Attended: Samuel G. White, '64, FAIA, vice chairman of the Portsmouth Abbey Board of Regents and partner in the firm Platt Byard Dovell White Architects LLP, was the guest speaker at a series of Portsmouth Abbey gatherings held in Florida during the week of March 19. Sam went on the road with Assistant Head for Development Patrick Burke '86, P'15, Senior Development Officer James MacGuire '70, P'10, '13 and Fran Cook P '11, director of special events, to present The Future of Portsmouth's Campus. Sam has been involved with School planning issues for several years and most recently has been working on updating Portsmouth's master plan. Read more. View photos.
Parents' Association Event, Bloom & Brass: A Celebration of Spring, Takes Place April 14: Come mix and mingle with fellow parents and enjoy a great evening out! Sample a selection of spring fare, dance to the music of "Brass Attack," and take a chance on one of many fantastic raffle items (click here to see a list of prizes). Please join the Parents' Association on Saturday, April 14, in the School Auditorium, from 7:00 to 11:00PM. Learn more.
Third Formers Bond on Alton Jones Day: On Tuesday, March 27, the Third Form took a day off from classes to go to the W. Alton Jones Campus (Environmental Education Center) of the University of Rhode Island. The students braved the chilly weather and spent the morning working on group-building skills and the afternoon on a challenge course. In their small groups, students learned the value of communication, teamwork, leadership and trust - and they had a lot of fun doing it. Read more. View photos.
2012 Portsmouth Review Hot Off the Presses: The new Portsmouth Review, containing the proceedings of last summer's The Catholic Shakespeare? Portsmouth Institute conference, is now available. The Review includes talks by leading scholars such as Dom Aidan Bellenger, Abbot of Downside, Fr. Peter Milward, S.J. and Clare Asquith. There are also articles by Dom Damian Kearney '45, Dom Ambrose Wolverton, Dom Leo van Winkle '39 and former heavyweight boxing champion Gene Tunney. Order your copy of the Review here today!
Portsmouth Institute Announces 2012 Concert: Former Abbey music director Troy Quinn will return to the Portsmouth Institute once again to conduct a concert on Saturday, June 23, at 6:15PM. This year's concert will include Movement Four from Dvorak's New World Symphony, Bach/Walton's The Wise Virgins, and Beethoven's Egmont Overture. The concert is free and open to the Portsmouth family. To register, click here or contact Cindy Waterman.
Abbey Players Delight with Winter Musical, Oklahoma!: The Abbey Players entertained the School community over the February 17-20 weekend with a lively production of Oklahoma! Read more. View photos.
Robert Sahms Elected to Rhode Island Aquatics Hall of Fame: Longtime Ravens' Varsity Swimming Coach Robert Sahms P'95, '99 has been honored by being elected into the Rhode Island Aquatics Hall of Fame. Robert has coached the swimming team with his wife, Christine, at Portsmouth Abbey since 1980 and has amassed an impressive 174-139-6 record during that time. Congratulations to Robert! Read more.
584: That's the number of alumni donors needed in the next 11 weeks in order to achieve 35 percent Annual Fund participation. If you have not yet made your donation, visit www.portsmouthabbey.org/makeagift and give today. Not sure if you have given? Visit www.portsmouthabbey.org/donorhonorroll to check. Please contact Director of the Annual Fund Polly Antol at 401-643-1204 with any questions.
Reunion 2012: Start Planning Now! Reunion 2012 will be held September 28-30, which will be a busy weekend in Newport; some hotels are already booked, so make your reservations today! While you are at it, take advantage of our early bird special and save $30 off the price of a full registration by registering early. Click here for more information on hotels, babysitting, registration, and to see your Reunion class pages. We can't wait to welcome you back to campus!
Upcoming Events
Saturday, April 14: Bloom & Brass: A Celebration of Spring, with music by Brass Attack. 7:00 to 11:00PM. School Auditorium. For tickets and information, contact Fran Cook at 401-643-1281.
Wednesday, April 18: Washington, D.C., Reception, 6:30 to 8:30PM. The Metropolitan Club, Washington, D.C. Hosted by Adam '83 and Elisabeth Carter, Outerbridge Horsey '71, and Anderson '89 and Mae Grennan.
Thursday, April 19: Philadelphia Dinner, 6:30PM. Lacroix at The Rittenhouse, Philadelphia, PA. Hosted by Tom Anderson '73 and Ralph Mariani '66.
Friday, May 4: Dedication of Grotto, 9:30AM. Followed by a concert in Church of St. Gregory the Great, 10:30AM. On campus, Lower Road.
Saturday, May 5: Prom, 7:00-11:30PM. Glen Manor House. Pre-Prom Reception in Winter Garden, 5:30-6:30PM.
Sunday, May 13: Confirmation Mass, 9:30AM. Church of St. Gregory the Great. Followed by lunch for Confirmandi and families in the Stillman Dining Hall.
Sunday, May 13: 10th Annual Walk for Cancer, 11:30AM. Assemble at Squash & Fitness Center.
Fri.-Sat., May 18-19: The Abbey Players Present, "Around the World in Eighty Days." Auditorium. School performance Friday at 7:00PM; public performance Saturday at 7:30PM.
Sunday, May 20: 5th Annual Men's Alumni Lacrosse Game, 11:30 a.m. Lower field. Cookout afterward at Al and Linda Brown's house. Contact Coach Brown.
Sunday, May 27: 82nd Commencement, 9:30AM Liturgy, followed at 11:30AM by Commencement Exercises. Holy Lawn.
Monday, June 4: 11th Scholarship Golf Tournament. Registration begins at 10:30 AM. The Carnegie Abbey Club.
Fri.-Sun., June 22-24: Portsmouth Institute: Modern Science, Ancient Faith. On campus. www.portsmouthinstitute.org.
Fri.-Sun., September 28-30: Reunion 2012. www.portsmouthabbey.org/reunion.
Please contact Fran Cook if you would like to attend, or have questions about, any of our events. You may also visit the Portsmouth Abbey Web site events section for gatherings in your area.
Answer to February Question of Month: Jim DeVecchi will retire in June 2013, the 11th person to serve as Portsmouth's Headmaster. Can you name all of Jim's predecessors in order? There have been 10 men who have served a total of 12 terms as Portsmouth's headmasters before Dr. DeVecchi. They are: Very Rev. Dom John Hugh Diman, 1926-32 and 1935-42; Dr. G.C. Bateman, 1932-35; Very Rev. Dom Gregory Borgstedt, 1942-50; Rev. Dom Aelred Wall '36, 1951-57; Rev. Dom Leo van Winkle, '39, 1957-73 and 1986-88; Rev. Dom Gregory Floyd '57, 1973-83; Rev. Dom Anselm Hufstader, 1983-86; Rev. Dom Francis Davidson, 1988-92; John A. Wilkinson, 1992-95; and Rt. Rev. Dom Mark Serna, 1995-2000.
Question of Month: Who wrote the lyrics and the music for the School song, and what have their respective associations been with the School? Please email your answers to the Office of Communications.
We Welcome Your Input: If you have questions, comments or ideas for Monthly Musings, please send them to the School's Office of Communications.
